Shana Wilson was born in Pine Bluff, AR.  Her Father, Boris Davis, 7 months prior was sentenced to life imprisonment for a case of aggravated robbery in which no one was hurt or killed (a detail the above video produced by UWM’s PR edited out after I mentioned his sentencing). Her mother and Grandma, Dana and Vickie Wilson, moved a couple years after Shana’s birth to raise her in Milwaukee, WI, in search of a less prejudiced, more opportunistic environment.  They raised her with the moralistic values most parents teach their children with hopes that they will able to thrive and succeed as they continue to grow. They didn’t hide the fact that she indeed had a Father who loves her very much but has been sentenced to life after his first offense. They taught her the black history that the school she attended didn’t teach. It was very early on in life when Shana learned the precious value of education, knowledge, and information.

At age 7, one of Shana’s most practiced hobbies included acting out a pretend radio show with a cassette recorder/player that came equipped with a small microphone and blank cassettes. She would interview and entertain her Mother and Grandma, as well as any other guests who happened to stop by. She was also introduced to poetry and began reading and writing it in her spare time.

At age 20, Shana was majoring in Journalism, Advertising, and Media Studies at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and interning at 371 Productions on their radio series, Precious Lives, a two-year, 100-part radio series about young people and gun violence in Milwaukee.

At age 22, she graduated from UWM and continues sharing the life stories of people and the environment they live in through pictures, videos, and words. She was awarded the Milwaukee Press Club’s Silver award for Best Long-Feature Story for ‘Against the Academic Odds’, a feature on UWM’s Upward Bound Program and the staff and participants who make it possible. Shana continues working with her mother to regain her father’s freedom.

At age 27, Shana continues to use words to encourage people to think and heal. She performs as Blue Lotus, lifting energy through the art of Spoken Word.