Poet and activist Melita Carter has been through some things. The writer, who as a child experienced neglect, abuse, fatherlessness and even battled suicidal thoughts, has found purpose in her pain.
Carter, a 30-year-old Indianapolis native, was inspired to create a theatrical presentation based on her experience.
“I saw a one-woman show a few years ago and I thought that the story of my life could also be a show,” she said. “Being a professional spoken word artist since the age of 16, I wanted to do something different to support the endeavor that I’m starting. I’ve wanted to do this for several years so I took a leap.”
Carter’s show, Shipwrecked But Not Lost, will expose audience members to tough moments of her childhood, beginning with the moment her mother gave her up for adoption. “She was 21 years old and already had two kids. She dropped me off but had a dream about me and went to get me and bring me back home,” she said. Though Carter was only in “the system” for a brief time it was a struggle for her mother to regain custody. The writer continued, however to be the victim of other forms of abuse for several years through molestation, incest and other things at the hands of relatives and fellow church members.
“I started writing poetry and it was a liberation from the trauma of the past,” she said. “It gave me a voice. A lot of young people, through my experience in the African-American community, grow up with a code that kids should be seen and not heard. All these things, children face and take into adulthood.”
For over a decade, Carter has worked with youth through several different initiatives. She is the founder of the Annual Koinonia Clean Up project for the far east side of Indianapolis and a Youth Development Facilitator for the Peace Learning Center.
Beyond its inspirational and artistic contributions, Shipwrecked, will serve as a fundraiser for Carter’s latest venture, Royal Sno. Royal Sno, a sno-cone franchise, will teach youth participants entrepreneurship skills as they will own and operate the business (housed in a mobile bus) during the summer and throughout the school year.
Carter believes that art and entrepreneurship have both been instrumental forces in her life, positive forces that she wants to share with young people looking to overcome their own forms of adversity.
“(Entrepreneurship) is so important because you don’t have to depend on anyone else. You can be the captain of your life,” she said. “As an artist it has been very important because not only are your words liberating others, they are sustaining you.”
Shipwrecked opens at the Theater on the Fort Feb. 24 at 7:00 pm and will show again on; February 25 at 12:00 pm (Youth Show), 3:00 pm and 7:00 pm. Joining Carter will be special guests Matthew Cooper (visual artist), Chantel Massey (Feb.24) and Keiana Whatley (Feb.25). Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased online at brownpapertickets.com
For more information on Royal Sno, visit facebook.com/royalsno.
