Rapper, Author, Activist Ronita Overton Shares Just How A King Can Be A Woman
It’s always amazing to see someone from your community make it big time. And it’s even more amazing when they come back and give! I had the honor of speaking with Author, Rapper, and now Activist, Ronita Overton to discuss overcoming hardships, the importance of her book, Sometimes the King is a Woman, and what she plans on bringing to her community. Representing Southeast D.C., the native Washingtonian understands the struggle to not only get ahead but stay ahead whilst not forgetting to reach back and help bring someone else out as well. The opportunity to go back into the neighborhood she grew up in to show others how she got out, comes as no surprise as many consider her a hero. She shared her story that she deems as an assignment to see others like her persevere towards greatness.
You can check out the interview below.
Ashley Shaunte:
So growing up in Southeast DC, of course, has shaped your life, but in what way did it exactly shape your life, in a way that people can connect with you and say, “you know what, I’ve experienced something like that and I see how you’ve overcome”?
Ronita Overton:
I wasn’t born in the Southeast. I landed in the Southeast when I was about 12, but I fell in love with it. And Southeast is a very unique place. You gotta be special to make it out. You know, I’ve written this book and in the book, I said Southeast is almost like going to a war every day. When you go outside, there’s a different obstacle you’re faced with. And, and I don’t care what type of person you are, Southeast is going to test your texture. You know, you can be a very smart ‘A’ student, and everybody on the block know you’re an ‘A’ student. But when you leave off of our block, you’re going to have to be the person that can take care of yourself. It is predators and prey, that’s it. And I mean, unfortunately, that’s the honest truth.
Ashley Shaunte:
Wow. So with that being said, because it was such a pivoting point in your life, was that a part of the reason why you joined the military?
Ronita Overton:
Yes. You know, you gotta make a choice. I grew up in a tough environment. So what happened was I was at the fork in the road, you know, I graduated high school, and that right there is an accomplishment. But to some people that is it. I had aspirations of going to college the person who was going to fund my college, unfortunately, got murdered and that changed the trajectory of my life. I was always smart. I could have applied for scholarships. I’m quite sure I would have got a scholarship, but I already had this person that was taking care of me and I wasn’t worried about money. And then he died. He got murdered. And then my life changed. Right. And I ended up at UDC because I had some dreams and aspirations. I wanted to be a business person. I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I had these dreams. So I went to UDC to start. And when I got to UDC, I was like, this feels like high school. I didn’t feel like anything. And I knew that I needed more; I needed something different. I was still hanging out with my friends. I was still doing the same thing. When I was in high school, it was a requirement that everyone takes the ASVAB test, military interest exam. I took the test and scored high enough for an okay job. So one day I stop in the CVS and I ran into, ironically, the recruiter who was working at my school. And he was like, what are you doing? I said I’m going to college. I’m going to UDC. He said, well, listen, you already took the test, come down and let me tell you what the army can do for you. And I am, an inquisitive person, you know? And I knew what Southeast had to offer me. I said, well, let me go on down there and see what the army can offer me. And they offered me what I needed. I wanted to go to college. So in my mind, I knew I could execute my plan. That’s what happened. But let me tell you something. I went to the army. I never got that degree.
Ronita Overton went on to say that it was life that stopped her from getting the degree but it never deterred her from persevering and doing what it is she was called to do. She understands that a degree doesn’t limit you nor does it qualify you for certain pathways. Let that be a reminder for many. If it is your choice, then go for it. If it is not in your path, don’t follow it. Your path can lead you to a place where you acquire more money than those degree holders, as Ronita’s path has taken her. Don’t use it to measure yourself. Know what you are called to do and stick to it.
Ronita Overton:
People are going to think that you’re crazy because they ain’t did it. That’s not their journey. Since I’ve been doing all these things, everybody’s telling me, I should do ‘it’ this way. And I don’t say anything. I just sit back and smile. Jay-Z said, “everybody can tell you how to do it but they never done it”. And I take that.
Ashley Shaunte:
So you keep mentioning your book, Sometimes the King is a Woman. When I saw it, I was like, what? So I would love to know more about that. And why did you choose that title?
Ronita Overton:
The title is the definition of me. The king runs the palace. I’m a woman, but I’ve been running the palace for a long time. A lot of people are depending on me. A lot of people are relying on me and I can’t let them down. A king takes that responsibility. And I’ve had that responsibility too since I was a teenager.
And now I’m at a point in my life where I have overcome so many obstacles that people don’t know about. I’ve been homeless. I grew up in a crack house. When I leave out in the morning, you don’t know that. People see the end result and people admire it. So I had to say, “Hey, this is why I do this. This is why I go so hard because I’ve been so broken. I’ve been so poor that I never want to be that way again.” And that’s my story. That’s why sometimes the king is a woman. And I want people to know that it’s not how you start, but how you finish. I was poor when I was a kid, but I didn’t have any control over that. I feel it’s my duty to tell the people where I’m from, how I made it out. Cause I see them and I see their pain. And I’m there. I’m younger than them. I see 60-year-old people from my neighborhood and they say “yo, you did it”. Dreams come true. I dedicated this book to my neighborhood. Cause if it wasn’t for that neighborhood, I wouldn’t be me. That neighborhood put something in me.
Ashley Shaunte:
You mentioned that you’re now an activist. So with being an activist, what are some things that you want to bring into the community for them to be able to shift, Just like you did?
Ronita Overton:
Resources, resources, resources, resources. I’m on these committees and the first thing I say is, we need treatment programs for the people. And we need some therapy and some yoga, some things that bring your stress levels down. Because when you live in the hood you’re stressed. You can go to the ice cream, shop and somebody is shooting. People need their stress levels to come down. Forget giving us a barbecue and giving me a toy on Christmas. We need something that is going to stick with them. And that’s one of the big things that helped me. I was in so many programs. I had mentors, I had exposure. I was out of the hood. I was in the hood, but I was out of the hood. And those times when I was out of the hood, they reminded me of the other things that were out there.
In an ever-evolving world where it seems like it’s getting worst before it’s getting better, resources in communities are always a plus and a need. Because of Ronita Overton’s successful endeavors, her community is rallying behind her with talks of a documentary. She understands the responsibility to pass on her knowledge to the next. A big part of what she is doing today is because she is simply supposed to. Keeping far from selfish ways, she shares the blueprint of how one can overcome the hardships of the ‘hood’ by sharing her story. It may not work exactly for you, but it is definitely a tool worth using.
Ashley Shaunte:
What would you say to someone who’s in the hood who wants to get out, but all of the circumstances around them, even their peers are talking in their ear and letting them know that it’s just never going to happen? What would you say to that person?
Ronita Overton:
Don’t share your dreams. Hold it to your breasts. Don’t tell anybody. Cause they’re going to laugh at you. They’re gonna think you crazy. I didn’t share my dreams. Write your goals down. This is what I do. I still do it right now. You’re going to have to be a leader. You can’t be a follower. And know this, “greatness is on the other side of fear. Keep pushing.”
Such an amazing way to end the interview. You can purchase a copy of Sometimes the King is a Woman here: https://www.ronitaoverton.com/product-page/sometimes-the-king-is-a-woman. And be sure to connect with her on FB and IG at Ronita Overton.
