My name is Shani and I am a Black thirty-year-old woman. I grew up in the hood, where I learned to be tough and resilient. As a child, I had to deal with a lot of pain and heartache. My father was murdered when I was just ten years old, leaving my mother to raise me alone. She worked two jobs to make ends meet but still couldn't provide for us the way she wanted to.
I always felt like I had something to prove, that I needed to be tougher and stronger than everyone else around me. That's why I got involved with a gang when I was just a teenager. It gave me a sense of belonging and family that I never had at home.
But things didn't always go according to plan. One night, during a fight with a rival gang, I was shot in the back. The bullet missed my spine by mere inches but left me paralyzed from the waist down.
At first, I was devastated. I felt like my life was over, that I'd never be able to contribute to society or have a real relationship with someone. But then I realized that there were still things I could do. I started painting and drawing, using my arms to create beautiful works of art.
I also got involved in activism, fighting for the rights of people with disabilities. I want to show others that just because you have a disability doesn't mean your life is over. You can still achieve great things and contribute to society in meaningful ways.
So that's my story. I may be bent over but I'm not broken, and I refuse to let my disability hold me back from living a fulfilling and meaningful life.