Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32)
Latonya Smiley was only keeping it real.
Or as this modern-day generation would say, she was simply keeping it 100.
START SPREADING THE NEWS — A native of Brooklyn, New York, LaTonya Smiley, 49, is the founder and chief executive officer the UNBROKEN Movement, a Middletown, New York-based venture she founded in 2011.
“I felt that God had forgotten about me and there was no purpose in my life,” Smiley told Making Headline News this week. “My mother chose to stay with my dad until he died five years ago, and it was at that time I took my first breath.”
For Smiley, it was just the figurative breath that had seemingly been displaced from her life for quite some time.
But God…
“God had spoken to me and told me that I needed to forgive my parents, and it was one of the hardest things that I had to do, but it was the very thing that resuscitated me,” Smiley explained. “I knew that this was my assignment when people begin to question my strength and how I was able to speak with such power on the topic of forgiveness.”
For Smiley, that people from various walks of like deem it essential to often consult her as a way to build up their spirit man has benefited her mightily, particularly since God strategically delivered her from arguably the most trying season of her life.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Smiley, 49, is the founder and chief executive officer the UNBROKEN Movement, a Middletown, New York-based venture she founded in 2011.
GLOBAL IMPACT — Interestingly, Smiley was chosen by the Speaker’s Institute For Women to travel the globe and teach forgiveness in a variety of countries.
An accomplished minister and spiritual life coach, Smiley’s movement is geared largely toward teaching people forgiveness, particularly after they’ve endured traumatic encounters such as molestation, infidelity, friendship betrayal or, as she says, “whatever needs to be forgiven.”
For Smiley, that she has grasped a thorough understanding of what it means to forgive didn’t merely come easy.
Amongst the reasons is that the spirit of forgiveness was practically instilled in her by God amid a series of chaotic, turbulent occurrences that transpired early in her life.
For instance, Smiley was molested by her father for an extensive period of time between the tender ages of nine and 13, a rather sickening, disheartening trend that not only gave way to her becoming pregnant, but caused her to spend most of my life in what she labels a “state of brokenness and bitterness.”
SHOW TIME FOR GOD — An accomplished minister and spiritual life coach, Smiley’s movement is geared largely toward her teaching people forgiveness, particularly after they’ve endured traumatic encounters such as molestation, infidelity, friendship betrayal or, as she says, “whatever needs to be forgiven.”
“As long as I was living a broken life, everything I tried to do crumbled,” Smiley said. “I was working as a paramedic, running around lights and sirens, saving other people’s lives and, every day when I went home, I want to take my own life.”
All things considered, what Smiley had ultimately found out was that we serve a God Who specializes in things that are seemingly impossible.
Today, unlike never before, she’s ironically specializing in things that seemed farfetched in the recent past.
SPANNING THE GLOBE — Just recently, she was invited to London, where she was afforded the golden opportunity to teach on the subject of forgiveness along with promoting a few books she’s authored. An advocate for child sexual abuse, Smiley is the owner of Unbroken Publishing and a best-selling author whose book, Father, Can You Hear Me, The Weeping Pedophile, will be released at a date to be announced.
“I specialize in mentoring those broken by molestation and both men and women seek me for help in learning to forgive their abusers,” Smiley said. “What makes me unique is everyone wants to tell a story, but very few offer solutions on how to move forward. Because it is such a sensitive topic, I am very humble that people listen when I give instructions on what to do.”
Much to Smiley’s delight, experience surely has proven to be her best teacher, especially for such a time as now.
Amongst the reasons is that Smiley’s expertise on forgiveness has given way to her becoming an international speaker.
GOD’S SPOKESPERSON — For Smiley, that people from various walks of like deem it essential to often consult her as a way to build up their spirit man has benefited her mightily, particularly since God strategically delivered her from arguably the most trying season of her life.
And, just recently, she was invited to London, where she was afforded the golden opportunity to teach on the subject of forgiveness along with promoting a few books she’s authored.
An advocate for child sexual abuse, Smiley is the owner of Unbroken Publishing and is a best-selling author whose book, Father, Can You Hear Me, The Weeping Pedophile, will be released at a date to be announced.
An escalation supervisor for United Health Care, Smiley is a graduate of LaGuardia Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Paramedicine. She has been a New York City-area paramedic for more than 10 years.
SMILEY’S ALL SMILES — Today, unlike never before, Smiley is ironically specializing in things that seemed farfetched in the recent past.
Interestingly, she was chosen by the Speaker’s Institute For Women to travel the globe and teach forgiveness in a variety of countries.
Talk about overcoming a slew of obstacles to a point where God is strategically using her for His glory.
“I love seeing families restored after trauma and through the power of forgiveness,” Smiley said. “My personal mission is showing victims that although things start off ugly just like for the butterfly, they were designed to be beautiful if they will just respect the process and understand that trouble does not last always.”
Talk about keeping it real.
Or as this modern-day generation would say, keeping it 100.
For more information about Minister and Spiritual Life Coach Latonya Smiley or to schedule her for a speaking engagement, call 347.483.46 71. Also, send email to: evesroses@yahoo.com.
EDITOR’S NOTE:If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
Andre Johnson is Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to andre@makingheadlinenews.com or to memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
ABOUT ANDRE: Andre Johnson is a longtime sports journalist and a 2000 graduate of the University of the Memphis with Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism. A native of Memphis, Johnson is a former sport reporter Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper and Memphis Sport Magazine. He worked as full-time staffer for The Commercial Appeal from 2000-2002, in which he was the beat reporter for the Memphis Houn’dawgs of now-defunct American Basketball Assocation and the Memphis Xplorers of the arenafootball2 league. He has interviewed numerous sports personalities, most notably Archie Manning, LeBron James, George “Iceman” Gervin, Issac Bruce, Laila Ali, Vince Carter, Paul Westphal, Phil Jackson, Ken Hamlin, Cortez Kennedy, Michael Oher, Kobe Bryant, Chris Douglas-Roberts, Marc Gasol, Dwight Howard, James Harden, Patrick Willis, Stanley Morgan, Dirk Nowitzki, Rick Carlisle, Mark Cuban, Carmelo Anthony, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Rudy Gay, John Force, Lamar Odom, Alexandra Stevenson, Derek Fisher, Penny Hardaway, Phillip Rivers, Colin Kaepernick, Jim Harbaugh, Tyreke Evans, Kirk Ferentz, and O. J. Mayo, among others. To reach Johnson, send email to: memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
Andre Johnson 
“God had spoken to me and told me that I needed to forgive my parents, and it was one of the hardest things that I had to do, but it was the very thing that resuscitated me,” Smiley explained. “I knew that this was my assignment when people begin to question my strength and how I was able to speak with such power on the topic of forgiveness.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
