I was not a liar-but who believed me? Many didn’t believe me, I didn’t believe me. I questioned why I was born and I attempted to commit suicide many times because the pain was too great inside. At 5 years old I had to do strange things and was molested. I didn’t understand how I could be treated this way. Then at 8 nothing changed just a different human I was sexually abused by a religious family member. This experience made me question whether God truly loved me and if so how could he allow me to be abused? At 10, the pain still didn’t end, I was raped by a family friend; when would this betrayal of trust end. “I was a liar”, he said. I learned to be silent because although I could speak- I had no voice. That same day I was seen by a physician who used ultra-violet light to shed light on my story. The light revealed the semen & other body fluids was still left on me. It was on that day I was given my voice.
Megan Kapri Manigault is an Amazon Best-Selling Author, Speaker, Mentor, and Advocate. Raised in Charleston, SC. She had always been a forerunner, paving the way for others and showing her love for her community by sharing her talents and gifts.
In 2004, Megan became a founding member of the Students Can Really Use Bedside Skills (S.C.R.U.B.S.) – a mentoring program at Roper St. Francis Healthcare. Megan continued to shine as a poet, being one of the first students to participate in “Gear Up” – Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs. Megan was the founding member of the “In the Spirit of Giving Fund” – a program started at Garrett Academy for students and family members experiencing traumatic life events. As an actress with the “Charleston Street Vendors”, she performed in plays and skits about the history of Charleston and its enslaved people. These performances included the Mojo Arts Festival and the North Charleston Arts Festival.
Megan graduated from Trident Technical College and the University of South Carolina, focusing on project management, healthcare, and psychology. Megan has worked in the medical field in various positions for over 10 years. She has spent countless hours volunteering at hospitals, nursing homes, and various faith-based organizations. In 2017, Megan was recognized by the National Council of Negro Women, Inc (North Charleston Bethune-Leonard Section) as a 2017 Innovator and received an award for her awesome works in the community. Megan co-authored a book that same year entitled “Unveiled, Unmasking The Pain”, in this book she shares with the world her rape experience. She wanted to help the world understand the experience of sexual assault and encourage others to take off the mask, speak up, and use their voices. As a survivor of childhood sexual assault, she decided to found I AM VOICES, Inc. – a non-profit organization, which now has a Chapter in Nigeria, both with a mission to transform the lives of survivors of sexual abuse while educating the community through awareness and prevention tactics. Megan has also created a mentorship summer program “Infinite Voices”, in this program she mentors young girls ages 4-17 on Body Safety, Self-Love, Boundaries, Financial Responsibility, and Entrepreneurship. Late 2018, Megan self-published “Wilted Flowers, Still Bloom, this book goes over many of her steps and strategies to help others understand Trauma Survivors or even to help survivors learn coping mechanisms. She created in this book, activities for readers to use in self-discovery; the book has been used in book clubs and female support groups. As “The Survivors Strategist”, Megan has used what she learned, to help other survivors develop their strategy to overcome mental obstacles to reach their peace. Early 2019, Megan co-authored another book “Body Talk: Finding the Beauty In You”, Megan expresses in this book the freedom in loving herself. She discusses how she once struggled with even thinking her body or physical appearance was worthy of love. She explains that Finding the Beauty means shes still learning, still discovering, and still working on ways to love herself over and over again. She ends her chapter by telling her readers, “With every lesson I learn, I’m willing to share with you, because by helping you, I’m still helping me, sis.” Megan is known in her community and internationally by her heart and willingness to spread love and speak on Finding Purpose and Overcoming Life’s Obstacles. She lives by her Motto “To Find Who You Are, You Must Acknowledge Where You’ve Been.”
