Sana Latrease Cotten: I Learned That She Too Was Trafficked By Her Mom So It Was A Generational Thing

en-usJuly 29, 2022

Bonus Babies

About this Episode

Jayne Amelia talks with Sana Latrease Cotten, who was trafficked by her mother and grandmother as a young child, put in foster care and was then adopted but even so never really felt she belonged with her new family. Later, when she learned of her own mother's traumatic past, Sana learned how to forgive her and also to advocate for others in need.

"Sana is the Founder of Unashamed, Inc., a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which fosters emotional health in disadvantaged families that have experienced incarceration, foster care, and teen pregnancy. Through various initiatives, Unashamed, Inc. is equipping families with the tools they need to dismantle unhealthy generational patterns, and transition from surviving to thriving.

At the tender age of 4, Sana and her twin brother were removed from the care of their drug-addicted mother and grandmother and put into the foster care system. Despite these early setbacks and emotional traumas in her life, Sana has emerged as a whole woman, unashamed of her past and boldly sharing her story. By the grace of God, Sana has impacted hundreds of women all over the United States by sharing her personal journey of denouncing shame and becoming healed and whole in Christ.

Sana has a passion for advocacy work and youth within the foster care system. She has worked alongside the Department of Children and Families (DCF) in the state of Connecticut in various roles including as a QPI Champion (Quality Parenting Initiative) and as a speaker and advocate for the Queen Esther Initiative, a faith based, foster care and adoption recruitment and support program designed to increase the number of licensed foster and adoptive families in the state of Connecticut.

In 2020, Sana published “Everyone Will Know It Was God,” a memoir which chronicles her life story of early childhood molestation and sexual abuse, and growing up in the foster care system to become who she is today—a powerful, anointed, healed and whole woman of God.

Sana has been featured in numerous media outlets including Sheen Magazine, Voyage Dallas, the Moments of Joy podcast, Willie Moore Jr.’s Lunch Time Link Up, AOL.com, and CBNs the 700 Club. In 2019, Sana was named a 100 Women of Color by June Archer & Eleven28 Entertainment which recognizes the contributions of people of color in business, education, entrepreneurship, entertainment, government, service and the impact they have made on the lives of people throughout the State of Connecticut and Western Massachusetts communities.

Sana is the wife of Reverend Joshua E. Cotten and the mother of her two greatest gifts, Jamir and Janai. She currently resides in Middletown Connecticut."

UnashamedInc.org

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