Words by DeWayne Rogers
Images by Grace Kisa for Steed Media Service
“I only think of you, on two occasions….”
–The Deele
Occasion No. 1
My heart was tied to hers from the moment I initially encountered actress Tasha Smith. We were scheduled to share an early breakfast at a small diner in downtown Atlanta as she diligently worked to promote Tyler Perry’s surprisingly emotional flick, Daddy’s Little Girls. As soon as she walked in and greeted me, an unmistakable warmth — seemingly from her sweet spirit — enveloped me from just a simple hand shake. Her pleasant demeanor in that pivotal moment went a long way in alleviating many of the concerns I had voiced to my publisher when the interview was assigned. You see, I’ve never had a problem interviewing the larger-than-life international superstars. You want me to talk to Beyonce? Piece of cake. I have an interview with Barack Obama tomorrow? I can do that with my eyes closed.
But place me in a room with a burgeoning star, and that’s when I experience occasional incidents of discomfort. Not because of any inability on my part to connect with them, instead it’s an inability on their part to come to terms with their own fame. But not Smith. This Camden, N.J., native seems to shy away from the blinding light of celebrity, preferring to help others search for the authentic light in their own lives. That’s just the way she is. I could tell from Day One.
Occasion No. 2
In memoriam to the legacy of the late Tupac Shakur, the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation for the Arts played host to my latest, and to this point my most memorable encounter with Smith. Standing just as statuesque as the structures erected to honor the slain Shakur, Smith possessed a peace, which she demonstrated during the interview -— one that signified an unabashed comfort in her own skin. What I came to understand that day as she opened her soul in newfound ways was that this woman’s success has never been solely for her own benefit. Instead, it has been used as a requisite vehicle in her journey to improve the conditions of those in need. Since my words alone could never adequately convey such an idealistic message in its totality, I’ll let you hear it from her instead.
The Window To Her Soul
ro: You’re always so open in your interviews. Are there things that you’d rather not share with the world?
Smith: I have been very open with people throughout my entire career. But sometimes I don’t like it when people ask me the same questions over and over again. I have always been very transparent, and have told a lot of my story several times. I just believe in being honest, because there are so many young people that need to be encouraged, and need to know that no matter how big the obstacle may look, that they have something inside of them that is so strong, that will empower them to overcome anything they may encounter in life. I just think that it’s important for me to be an inspiration to them and to as many people as I possibly can.
The Daughter Returning Home
Truth be told, more stars should strive to use their influence as a platform to better the lives of others. And some do, with a tremendous amount of success I might add. But others take the fortune and fame, and use those newfound resources to build a wall of protection shielding them from the truth of their past — before the world loved them. But Smith has never been comfortable with traveling that path, and has taken the road less traveled. Her path leads her to return to Camden with one goal in mind: to pull her people up from their current circumstances.
ro: We’ve witnessed firsthand the love that you receive when you return home to Camden, New Jersey. How important is it for you to go home and check up on the people still there?
Smith: I take going back home and helping my people very personally. I feel like if I can’t grab the hand of another person and pull them up with me, then I’m not doing my job. You know how people talk about being crabs in a barrel? Well where I’m from, people are so used to pulling you down, instead of being on top and pulling you up. That’s not me. Sometimes when people get famous, they become ashamed and are afraid to tell their story. They are fearful of traveling down those roads to revisit the trials and tribulations that they went through. But for me, it’s very empowering, and it’s continually a freeing situation for me, as well as a way to help someone out of the circumstances that they are in. I don’t want people to think that I’ve had some life that I didn’t have. I want them to know the truth.
People are going through so much in this world today; with the economy … there is so much going on with teenage pregnancy … there is just so much going on. People are struggling through drug addiction and prostitution, and they are losing hope. They are becoming discouraged because of disappointments from the past, or things they are currently going though. I just feel like these people need some mentorship. They need somebody else to say, “Hey, I understand what you are going through, and I have compassion for what you’re going through because I have gone through it too.” That is the only way that you are going to be able to help people, and that’s to [be] where they are. I mean come on, why go to the people who have already come out of their bad situations? More of us need to be reaching out to those that are currently in those situations, so we can help them out and then they can in turn pull somebody else out. That’s the only way that we are going to make things better. That’s the only way.
An Emotional Refueling
You would be hard pressed to question the sincerity of this world’s most compassionate people. But even those saintly few occasionally get fatigued from the arduous journey. In our final excerpts from our time with Smith, we discovered some telling moments in which she revealed her failsafe remedy for just such an occasion.
ro: You’re always pouring out your heart, and being so giving of yourself. How do you recharge your battery after constantly giving?
Smith: There are times when I am tired, times when I am unsure of myself, and times when I just need a little pick me up. When that happens, I find myself having to go back to the source that made all of this success possible, and gave me the power in the first place. I can’t do any of this without prayer, without meditation, without quiet time with God, and without studying His word. I need to be able to read that scripture that says “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” So whenever I need a refill, I just go to the place where I initially got the energy. I can’t live without Him … He’s the best thing that I’ve got going.
ro: Are these the same lessons that you teach your students in the Tasha Smith Actors Workshop?
Smith: You know, I just try to make my students feel safe. When you are an entertainer, you are so vulnerable because you expose so much of yourself to the world. I just want them to feel safe when they walk through my doors, and know that it is a place where they don’t have to be afraid to expose themselves or be vulnerable. That’s all anyone wants in life … a place where they can feel safe.
