If You Knew Better: Lil Durk's Mom LaShawnda Woodard Knows the Hardest Person to Forgive Is Yourself
If You Knew Better: Lil Durk's Mom LaShawnda Woodard Knows the Hardest Person to Forgive Is Yourself  
Podcast: The Breakfast Club
Published On: Sat Sep 12 2026
Description: The Black Effect Presents... If You Knew Better with Amber Grimes! In this episode of If You Knew Better, Amber Grimes welcomes LaShawnda Woodard aka "Mama Durk" for a deeply personal conversation about teen motherhood, grief, trauma, and healing [00:00]. LaShawnda reflects on becoming a young mother [01:44], lessons she later understood from her own mom [03:51], supporting Lil Durk’s music dreams [05:49], and raising each child according to their individual needs [07:01]. She remembers her oldest son D-Thang [09:00], opens up about living with grief after his death [09:55], and shares her struggles with depression and isolation [13:58]. Amber challenges LaShawnda’s self-blame while discussing the importance of community [19:42], before LaShawnda speaks candidly about surviving sexual assault [21:59], encouraging other survivors to speak up and seek help [28:42] as they explore lingering trauma [30:27] and finding language for painful experiences [30:58]. Amber encourages LaShawnda to give herself grace [32:23], examining parenting through pain [32:58], accountability versus blame [33:40], and faith and forgiveness [36:00]. LaShawnda discusses sharing her story through 7220 [37:05] and surviving an attempted assault as a teenager [38:11], while Amber reinforces that survivors are not responsible for the harm done to them [40:56] and encourages her to release the weight she has carried [41:55]. They reflect on how children remember their upbringing differently [45:19], learning to acknowledge the good alongside the mistakes [48:44], and LaShawnda’s final memories with D-Thang [50:55]. The episode closes with a challenge to rediscover joy [53:11], understand how trauma can freeze us in time [56:13], reconnect with community [57:09], and continue the journey toward healing [58:15].  Ask or Share with Amber: withambergrimes@gmail.com Follow Amber Grimes on Instagram: @ambergrimes Follow LaShawnda Woodard: @real_mswoo Get Amber's Newsletter on Substack Watch This Episode on Youtube Thursday at 6pm ET  Follow Amber's Book Club Get Amber's Book Club Merch  Read Amber's Favorite Books   O.P. Date: September 8, 2026YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BreakfastClubPower1051FMSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.