Ashanti Smith

I grew up in Berkeley, but Roots was one of the reasons I started coming to Oakland. I was homeless and needed a place to stay, so I was staying at the DreamCatcher shelter. I was neglected by the foster care system and Child Protective Services. I was being hurt, emotionally, physically. I was hungry. The system really took a toll on me.

I was able to receive support from Roots. Little things like getting my phone bill paid, getting food, getting toiletries, receiving health services from a doctor, those are major things for me. People at Roots really understand my perspective and they’re able to put themselves in my shoes. It makes me feel like I’m seen. It makes me feel human.

Roots has motivated me and reshaped the way that I see my health. I’m motivated to be educated about my health and educate others about their health. Dr. Mays is my doctor and she’s been such a pillar for me, really supportive and informative.

I’ve also worked for Roots. I was an intern for the Truth About Using program, where we made digital content to educate youth about drugs. We would come up with Instagram posts. We did a monologue. We made fliers and posters. It was all digital. I learned new skills and I met new people. The energy I got from working there was just amazing.

Now I’m a sophomore at Contra Costa Community College in the field of public health science. I dream of myself in a big house, being a homeowner, the little white picket fence and everything. First, a goal for me is to finish school and get my bachelor’s degree.

It’s really important for stories like mine to be shared. Everybody has a unique perspective on life. We’re all on this Earth together, so if we can better understand each other, then we can make progress toward humanizing one another and improving this world that we live in.