{"id":342934,"date":"2017-06-07T07:30:28","date_gmt":"2017-06-06T23:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/techcrunch.com\/?p=1497939"},"modified":"2017-06-07T07:30:28","modified_gmt":"2017-06-06T23:30:28","slug":"shaka-senghor-a-formerly-incarcerated-individual-launches-media-startup","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/people.utm.my\/asmawisham\/shaka-senghor-a-formerly-incarcerated-individual-launches-media-startup\/","title":{"rendered":"Shaka Senghor, a formerly incarcerated individual, launches media startup"},"content":{"rendered":"

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At TechCrunch Sessions: Justice today, New York Times bestselling author Shaka Senghor unveiled Mind Blown Media<\/a>, a new media company that aims to create high-impact content focused on the criminal justice system and mass incarceration. Senghor, who spent 19 years in prison \u2014 seven of which were in solitary confinement \u2014 founded Mind Blown Media to tell the stories of people who have been impacted by the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came out to this very different world, and I knew that there were stories that weren\u2019t being told,\u201d Senghor told me ahead of Justice. \u201cBut I also knew that there was a lack of connection between what was happening in our criminal justice system and what was happening in technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

Senghor started Mind Blown Media because no one would hire him, he told me.<\/p>\n

\u201cI haven\u2019t had a traditional job since I\u2019ve been out of prison,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople would tap me for information and I\u2019ve helped develop other companies to a very high level. It was time to make a pivot and invest in myself. I want to make sure that other people are getting paid for their art.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mind Blown Media\u2019s first piece of content will be a monologue show \u2014 a live event the company is currently developing to premiere in theaters. The show, called The Cell, will tell fictional stories based on the lives of real incarcerated people in a way that is authentic, accessible and filled with social impact, Senghor said.<\/p>\n

\u201cPrior to writing my memoir, I started off writing fiction and I believe that fiction offers us the greatest opportunity to tell the truth because it doesn\u2019t make people put up the walls they do when they hear a personal narrative,\u201d Senghor said. \u201cBut if you tell non-fiction stories in a heartfelt way to people that don\u2019t come from that environment, they\u2019re more open to hearing them.\u201d<\/p>\n

The idea with Mind Blown Media is to utilize current technologies to bring these untold stories to the masses \u2014 the stories of people who don\u2019t have access to tech, who are at risk or come from underserved communities. With \u201cWhat\u2019s Good in the Hood,\u201d Mind Blown Media will create a digital series showcasing people and places in misunderstood cities in America, and enable people from those communities to connect with each other and the masses online.<\/p>\n

Down the road, the idea is to do a national tour in major cities and create an hour-long special with a digital content provider like Netflix, Amazon and HBO, and even bring the monologue show on the road in a Vagina Monologue-esque way. Just like the Vagina Monologues were helpful in getting \u201cus neanderthal men to understand the complexities of vaginas,\u201d Senghor said. The Cell aims to help people better understand what it\u2019s like to be part of the criminal justice system.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\"\" At TechCrunch Sessions: Justice today, New York Times bestselling author Shaka Senghor unveiled Mind Blown Media, a new media company that aims to create high-impact content focused on the criminal justice system and mass incarceration. Senghor, who spent 19 years in prison — seven of which were in solitary confinement — founded Mind Blown Media to tell the stories of people who… Read More<\/a><\/p>\n

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