ShaMyra Sylvester and Chapin Montague

[00:02] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: Shamira Sylvester 33. Today's date is October 26, 2023. We're here in Mobile, Alabama, and I am being interviewed by Chaplin.

[00:12] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: My name is Chapin Montague I'm 24 years old. Today's October 26, 2023. We're here in Mobile, Alabama. I'm here with Shamira, and, yeah, I'm gonna ask her some questions today.

[00:27] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: Yay.

[00:28] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Yeah. Thank you so much for coming in and chatting with us on our first day of recordings in mobile. We're kicking it off here. Yeah. I was just wondering if you could talk a little bit more about what made you want to come in and record with us today.

[00:44] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: Well, I think this is a super cool opportunity, primarily because how often do you really get an opportunity to tell your story, and everyone can hear it for generations to come? I wish I could go and hear a story about my grandma or my great great grandma or anyone of my lineage, to be honest. And so I said, why not? Why not me?

[01:08] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: I love that. And so we're here in Mobile. Is this a place where you grew up? Have you lived your whole life?

[01:15] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: I was born and raised in mobile, and I moved away at 18 to go off to college. And so some kind of odd way, my life has brought me back here, primarily because of COVID to be honest. I initially just wanted to quarantine with my family. I was living in Washington, DC, had been living there for six, seven years. I worked for the US Department of Energy. I was a presidential management fellow, which is a fellowship with the White House. So I worked in the Obama administration and the Trump administration. I remember being at work, and everybody was like, we're gonna go on quarantine, but it's only gonna be for 30 days. And I was like, okay, 30 days. Hmm. I haven't been home for 30 days since I moved away. And so I came back to quarantine with my family for that 30 days, which turned into two years. I think we were in quarantine for almost two years, and I just never left. I've been here ever since.

[02:21] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: So what was it like? You know, it seemed like you had kind of a wild life in DC or doing so many things, like really starting down this career path, which it seems like you're doing something very different now than what you were doing then. What was that like? Well, first, I'd love to hear more about DC and kind of how you got into that coming back here.

[02:41] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: Well, after graduating college, I went to Miles college first. Then I transitioned to the University of Alabama. Then I got my master's degree at Troy University. And so all while matriculating through higher education, I graduated and I moved to Atlanta, lived there for a few years, and while I was getting my master's degree, I remember telling myself, like, it's pretty hard here in Atlanta. I'd rather, which is so close to home. Like, I'd rather go further just to see if, like, if I'm doing okay here. Like, if I go further, I think I'd be okay. Just ambitious, young, enthusiastic. And so I moved to DC. I had, like, $500 and a hope and a wish, and I ended up just kind of, like, networking my way through. I did some, like, mortgage loan officer types of things and just, like, understanding and learning as I kind of played around with different career fields. And one day I went on a cruise with my friends, and I met this woman who we were sitting in the mustard station when they're telling you about, like, how to react if things go wrong. And so I saw these two little black girls in front of me, and they were playing, and they were just so young and innocent. And so I asked her who the mom was sitting on the side of me. I asked her if, like, how, like, how was it being a mom? And just like, you know, I was asking about their hair and telling her how beautiful they were. It just reminded me of me as a kid. And so the conversation evolved into, you know, you know, where you from, where you live now. And so I told her I lived in DC. And she was like, what? Me too. And so I was like, oh, well, that's dope. Like, maybe we should connect when we get back. And so we did. And so she asked me, like, what was I doing in my career? And I told her that, you know, just trying to figure it out. I'm in grad school and studying communications. And so she said, you should apply for this fellowship. That I did. And I was like, okay, this sounds cool. Like, can you tell me more about it? So she sent me a link to the opportunity which was taking applications right when she sent it to me. And so she told me to send her my resume. So I sent her my resume. She helped me, like, cater it towards the opportunity. I applied, and I got accepted, and so she kind of just helped me navigate that. And so I ended up getting placed with the US Department of Energy in the office of diversity, equity and inclusion, which was so perfect for me. It was kind of like everything was in alignment, and I was a communications manager for that office until I transitioned into another role. But through that opportunity, I learned so much about myself, about why diversity and inclusion is important, even more because of equity. And I ended up working on the council for Michelle Obama's council of Women and Girls of color. And I met Tina chin. Like, I met so many, like, really cool people who were about the work. It was like the true essence of public service. And so I just became, like, working on the hill, living in the. I lived on Capitol Hill, worked on Capitol Hill. I ended up buying a house in DC, my first home. And I made so many wonderful friends who are still my really, really good friends now. And I never would have imagined, like, living that version of my life, especially coming from mobile, where things are so slow and not just slow in pace, but slow for underprivileged and underrepresented communities. And so working my way up from being honestly, like a poor little black girl to self sustaining in Washington, DC and being able to be like, hey, I believe in what I'm working on. And this is why it's so important, because I'm directly connected to the target audience, you know, and that's awesome.

[07:02] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Do you have a favorite memory from that period in your life? It seems like you were meeting so many people, learning so much. Like, is there something that sticks out?

[07:09] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: You know what? I remember my first time going to the White House. And I was like, whoa, I'm here. And President Obama lives here. And this is nuts. And that kind of rolled into, like, other. There were some very phenomenal people a part of my fellowship, some really, really, really smart and intelligent people. And I remember me kind of looking around and being like, what are you doing in here? And I had to tell myself, like, you're here because you belong here. Like, you're here because you're smart, too. Like, you're intelligent, too. And so one of my friends, Jessica, worked, like, specifically at the White House. Like, she was appointed to work at the White House. And so we'd go bowling at the White House. And I see all these pictures of, like, past presidents. I saw the situation room. Like, I went in there, I went in the Oval office. I did all of these things. And one of my most, that's not even my most fondest memory. My most fondest memory is flying my mom to DC and being like, you get to go on a tour of the White House. And she was like, what? Like, you work here. So she went on a tour of the east wing, and I was like, got a better opportunity for you. You get to tour the west wing, which is where the president is. And so I actually had to work that day. I think I was on the committee for Michelle Obama's Easter egg hunt, so I had to work the Easter egg hunt while my mom was at the White House. And so that was a very pivotal moment where I was like, this is really it. You've worked your way all the way right here. And even talking about it now, as I'm experiencing entrepreneurship and some of the hard things that come along with that, it reminds me that, like, if I worked myself up from just living a very southern life, southern black girl, like, we're family everywhere and just, you know, good parts about that, bad parts about that, kind of caught up in between being a creative and being misunderstood and all of these different elements to finding a community where I was accepted. And it was cool to be smart and it was cool to be creative and all of these elements, I could do it again, and I can keep going. And even though it might be hard, like, it's okay because it was always hard to be honest, but I made the best of it. And so that's my most fondest moment.

[09:38] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Oh, that's so cool. That's just so amazing that. Wow. Okay, so you were in DC, Covid. Happens. You come home, I'm wondering, and you're still here now. I guess I'm wondering at what point after coming home did you realize, oh, this is where I'm gonna be. This is where I'm gonna stay. This is what I'm gonna build.

[10:02] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: I probably just. Okay, so I got home in, I think, june of 2020, maybe a year ago, I just realized that I had moved back home. I bought a house when I got back home, like, I bought my second home. I had my house in DC, my house here, and I still was like, no, I don't live there. This is where I'm gonna stay when I come back home. I've been living there ever since. I think a part of me was in denial, but because I was in alignment and I didn't want to accept it, I still was holding on to parts of my DC life. Let's see, I. Coming back home has been bittersweet. It's been beautiful, but it's been hard. I find myself often grieving my old self in my old life, and I never even knew that that was a thing. But I'm here, and I ended up staying here because I felt so connected to real public service. Like, what I'm doing is real public service, boots on the ground. And it's tough, which is interesting, because when I think about it, my mom is a public servant. I own a juice bar down here downtown on Dauphin street. Right? My mom would just walk in there and be like, hey, I'm just downtown feeding the homeless. And I'm like, okay, girl, see you later. Here's a juice. But I remember when I was a kid, we used to go to the Salvation army, and we'd be there all day because my mom wanted to talk to people about Jesus. She'd want to help them kind of sort like the clothes that were being donated and all of these other things. And I just, you know, just hang around and play in the flowers and the garden and different things like that. And then I tug on her skirt and be like, I'm ready to go. And she's like, okay, we're gonna leave. But I didn't realize that that was a part of my story, like, a part of my own public servant piece of my life. And I honestly, even I just realized that probably maybe a year ago, maybe two years ago, it took a while. So me still being here now is solely because when I got back, I realized, like, wait a minute, everybody's sick, and not just because of COVID Like, people are sick, and Covid is having its toll on them because of pre conditions. And so in my own life, I had started to be healthier because I was in a bigger city, and in larger city, health is a priority. And during the time I was in DC, Mayor Bowser was the mayor, and I remember her being gung ho about health. And so while I was in DC, there was this juice bar around the corner. I lived in Anacostia, which was, like the black, bad side of DC, which, I mean, to be honest, everywhere is bad. But I remember having a realtor, and she was like, don't move to Anacostia. Like, that's the bad area. But it was affordable for me at the time. And so I was like, I was just gonna go see for myself. And so I found an apartment, and it was beautiful. Tall victorian ceilings. I think it was, like, built in, like, 19 early 19 hundreds. And everyone that lived in my building was black, and they had lived there for, like, 1020 years. So I was, like, the newcomer, and they were so nice and so accommodating. Like, times when I couldn't go home for the holidays, like, they'd invite me over or they'd grab my packages when I was traveling for work. And so it was one of those, like, don't hear about it. Go see for yourself. And so as I was out exploring the neighborhood, and I found this juice bar that was owned by a black woman who created it because her mom had cancer, and she was looking for a modality to help her ease the stress of chemo and all of these other things and kind of not rely so specifically on pharmaceuticals. And so I read her. Well, I went to the juice bar, and I realized it was black owned. This is my first kind of coming into this whole, like, black owned, black woman owned. Like, I hadn't know. I didn't really know much about that. Like, it was at the beginning of the craze, right? And so I just go there all the time. I get juice. I get smoothies. And then I started dating this guy who was very healthy, was one of my really good friends, even now. And he kind of set me on this path of, when you take care of your insides, it pours over into the outer aspects of your life. And so he bought me a juicer for Christmas because I was, like. I was so into, like, not only just this one black owned juice bar, which was called turning natural, but there was this other woman owned juice bar called drink with a j. And so I love the aesthetic of the juice bar, and it just felt good going in there. So I would go there all the time, and I noticed that my hair was growing better, stronger, my nails were stronger, my skin was clearing up, and I just felt better. I didn't feel, like, tired in the morning because I was getting up juicing, or I'd make juice the night before and, like, bottle it and drink it. I was making smoothies and all these kind of things. And so when I got back home, I was like, everybody's sick. And it's because there's no healthy food options here, to the point where I was looking for it for myself. And I was like, all right, so if, like, I was using yelp to see if I can find a juice bar, the only thing came up was, like, smoothie King soul bowls, which is, like, acai bowl place here. And no one had juice. And so I was like, okay, well, this is why everybody's sick, because they don't know, and they don't have access. And it kind of made me explore, like, food deserts and accessibility and, okay, why the black communities only have liquor stores and church's chicken and checkers and, like, the grocery stores are bare minimum. The produce looks weird. Like, it smells weird in here, like, what's happening? And so that's when I bought a juicer, and I ordered it to my mom's house, and I just started juicing I was like, no, mom, drink the juice. I was drinking juice. Like, I was the guy that I was dating at the time. I'd make him drink juice. Like, I was learning more about becoming an entrepreneur in the juice bar industry at his house. Like, I'd make it and be like, taste it. What do you think? And so he drafted up the. Like, I was like, I think I need to open a juice bar here. I wasn't thinking about, like, okay, I'm gonna still live in DC and open a juice bar here. It's just something told me, like, you gotta do this. And so I was still working my job. I was working from mobile, right? And I was just juicing and juicing. And my mom was telling her friends at church, and the word was getting out, and so I was like, okay, well, maybe I should make this a thing. And so my boyfriend designed a logo based on what I was telling him. And I was like, I think I want to call it Ginger and spice, because I love ginger and spice. Has this really intricate history behind spices. Like, slavery started because of spices, war started because of spices, because it was a currency at the time. And so I was like, ginger and spice? That feels right. And it just evolved from there. Like, I went from running the juice bar out of a little apartment on Catherine street, which is in midtown Mobile, and people were, like, placing orders online and picking them up. It was not health department approved, but I promise you, I was on my hands and knees cleaning in there. Like, I was like, I'm not giving people anything that I wouldn't want. And so opportunities just started to present themselves. And this is kind of where things kind of took a turn, where I started realizing that, like, hmm, if I'm trying to hold on to my past while pursuing something that is clear that this is what I should be doing, I'm gonna be forced to do what I'm supposed to be doing. So I've never told this story, ever, but I had a friend who worked for the SBA during the PPP loan and all this kind of stuff. First of all, I come from a family that I. I'm probably the one that everybody comes to. Like, I don't. I don't talk to my mom about, like, I think I need an accountant. What. What do I do? Like, if I did, she probably try to figure it out. But just. Just being frank and being honest, like, the level of education is, it just isn't there. And so that means that there are some areas that I'm a little deficient in. Right? So even when I think about, like, buying my house, like, I just did what the realtor told me to do. I didn't, like, look into anything, like, specifically. I just. You apply for the first time home buyers loan. Like, okay, sign up. They're like, okay, here's a closing letter.

[19:15] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Right?

[19:15] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: Okay. I didn't. I wasn't looking. I went based on what they told me to, because I was never taught to do anything otherwise. Same with buying a car. I'm just like, okay, the APR is this much it. I can afford these car payments. Let's go for it. And so one of my friends. Well, my cousin had a friend that worked for the SBA. I trusted my cousin, so I trusted this person. And so he was like, you've been exploring entrepreneurship, having, like, a side hustle for all this time. You'd qualify for this PPP loan. Like, it's for people in Covid, and you could use this money to really, like, start your business. And I was like, okay, sure. So he was like, I'll give you the numbers to put into the application, and we'll fill it out together, blah, blah, blah. So I did that, and then a year later, I got a knock on my door, which was from the federal government, saying that you fabricated your application and now you're in trouble.

[20:13] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Oh, no.

[20:14] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: It was a big thing. So big that I ended up leaving my, like, resigning from my job with the federal government, and, like, I had to go to a whole court situation. I am now a convicted felon.

[20:31] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Oh, my God.

[20:32] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: And I went to prison for 30 days.

[20:34] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Oh, my God.

[20:35] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: That was a thing. All because I didn't, like, look super deep into this application. And I'm not just sitting here telling you this, like, I've never been one to, like, hurt for money. I'm a single woman. I don't have any kids. Like, everything was fine. And so I got to a point where I was, like, mad. I was so mad. I was so bitter. I was grieving so many things. Actually, my friend who I grew up with, she was, like, my baby sister and all of these things. She committed suicide in October of last year. And I know that it has something to do with that. Um, but this is not a. This is not a sad story. This is a victorious story, because I'm at a place in my life where I can tell this, and I don't care, because my heart was not in the wrong place, because my heart is still and always has been for the community. Right? So I applied for this loan to get this money to not pay for things out of my pocket so that I can use the federal government money to save the community. Right? And so, um, I. Even after going to prison and all this stuff, like, I was like, I don't care. This just has to be a part of the story because I know where my heart is and I use my own. I sold my house in DC to pay back. I paid back $50,000 to the loan, and I used my other money that I had saved my own personal funds to invest. I invested every last single dime that I had into ginger and spice. So we opened a store on Dauphin street in February of 2023. And it's been beautiful. It's been so beautiful. I have so many customers that come in and they're like, I never thought that drinking cold pressed juice or drinking juice made from fruits and vegetables was this delicious. I have customers that have told me that juice, my juice has healed them from cancer. I have customers who have shared in, like, ringing the cancer free bell with me. I have customers that are like, I don't feel good. Help me. I have customers that have cancer right now that are like, I need something. And so I know that my work is needed because I am the only cold pressed juice bar in raw vegan cafe in Mobile. And I meet so many people that are black, that are plant based. And I'm like, I didn't know you existed. I didn't know you were here. And so they're like, thank you for being here because we have somewhere to eat and we don't have to, like, worry if pork is in it or if dairy is in it or any of those things. And so that's why I'm still here. Yeah, that is why I'm still here. And even in moments of feeling stuck, I remind myself that there's no such thing that doesn't exist. And even when I think about gender and spice now is like, God keeps giving me these creative ideas about it. And it's only because of God that I'm, like, still moving forward. And then when I say God, I'm talking about in every form, the universe, the inner God, all of the things I believe that all of those things are God. And so even in hardship, I'm shedding layers and I'm learning that all the rules are fake. All of the rules are fake. Like, all of the go to college and be smart and be cute and be quiet and you'll get married and all. None of that stuff matters because I did all of that and I still ended up in a place where I thought I'd never be. And it just reminds me that, like, when you do what, you know, innately that you're supposed to be doing, it all works out in your favor. It's all gonna work out for your good. And I pride myself in being a healer, and not in a weird, like, superficial type of way, but, like, even in me preparing all of these different type of food options and things that will absolutely heal your body. I had a conversation with my uncle not too long ago, and he was like, did you know your grandma was. She retired from a plant nursery. I never knew where my green thumb came from. I can grow anything, like, even the pineapple tops that come from us juicing. I'll propagate them and give them to my customers, and, like, here's a pineapple. Now you have a pineapple plant, right? And so it's so interesting because my grandmother's name is Myra. I'm Sha. Myra. I grew up on Elmira street, which is where I bought my house at when I moved back home. My aunt's name is Elmira. And it's just all of these different things that is, like, it's okay. Like your ancestors. And again, not in, like, a super weird ancestral type of way, but, like, there are people before you who actually did pave the way. And even if it doesn't feel like it, they did. And you take in parts of them and you are honoring them, and you're honoring God, and you're honoring yourself in your work. And so I'm excited about the future, even back to me saying about the creative ideas that I feel like God has given me. Recently, I've been thinking about, like, what are the students on campus eating? Like, if I had a juice bar when I was on campus, I know it would have helped me. Mobile has so many colleges here, and I'm like, if I could get juice to the campus, I know that this would be beneficial for the students. Right? So that's where my work is being focused now. Either maybe opening a second location on one of the campuses here or all of the campuses here. But my heart is kind of going out to the students now because I couldn't imagine coming from a Washington, DC or a New York, where health was our priority. And now I'm hearing mobile, and it's like, what's happening? And so, yeah, that's kind of just like. I know that was a lot. No, no, I know it was probably got super deep super fast, and I even held back and forth tears. But I'm so proud of myself. I'm so proud of my sister, who even felt like things were overwhelmed and she had to go, and she did what was best for her, and that's what she felt like. But I'm proud of her, too, because we collectively and individually, were the individuals here in mobile that saw that things could be better. And we worked our ass off to bring that to life in so many different ways. In so many different ways. And so I'm gonna hold on to that. I'm gonna hold on to that. I probably needed to have this conversation because I need that, but I'm gonna hang out right there. That's why I need to sit it.

[27:35] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Yeah, yeah. Oh, my God. That was amazing. I just have one more question, if that's okay.

[27:41] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: Absolutely.

[27:41] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Wrap up. So you mentioned that, you know, you. One of the reasons why you wanted to come in today was because you would wish that, you know, you had some sort of tape of your grandmother or great grandmother. I was just wondering if there's anything for future generations, you know, whether you have kids or nieces or nephews or anything like that, that you want to say to them that'll be around.

[28:07] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: I would say to them to follow your heart. And I know that can sound a little bit cliche. If there is something that's pulling at you and tugging at you, and you feel like, if I engage with this thing, it's gonna make a difference, do it. Do it by any means necessary, even if it puts you in prison, because that's not the end of the world. These titles, these convicted felon and all that does not matter. It doesn't matter. When you are doing what God put on your heart, when you are following your passion and your purpose, it's gonna work out. Because guess what? Doctor King has a portfolio. Rosa Parks has a portfolio. Stokely Carmichael, all of these individuals. Lauryn Hill, all of these individuals that we hold on to and help us navigate, like moving forward, these songs that we listen to when things are getting hard, like, they had hard times, too. Even in their crafts and trying to share their gifts with the world, things kind of got a little bit hard for them. So if it's on your heart, do it. And you don't have to be alone, because there's somebody that's willing to help you in any capacity, whether that's picking up boxes, understanding what it means to find an accountant, maybe even finding a grant. There's somebody to help you write a grant. If you don't know what to do, there's always a community. You just have to open your heart up to find it.

[29:39] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: It. I love that. Amazing. Well, thank you so much, Shmir, for coming in and sharing your story.

[29:45] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: Thank you for having me.

[29:46] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Absolutely.

[29:47] SHAMYRA SYLVESTER: And thank you for this opportunity. I'm grateful.

[29:49] CHAPIN MONTAGUE: Absolutely.