Ariana Brown facts for kids

Ariana Brown is an American spoken word poet from San Antonio, Texas. She is known for her powerful poems. In 2014, her team won a national college poetry slam. Ariana Brown has also won the "Best Poet" award twice at this event.

She has also received the Academy of American Poets Prize two times. In 2020, she published her first poetry book, Sana Sana.

Early Life and Education

Ariana Brown was born in San Antonio, Texas. Her father was Black American and her mother is Mexican-American. Brown identifies as a Black Mexican American person.

Growing up, Brown did not see many people like her in books. This made her want to write poetry. She writes for young women who also struggle with their identity. She was also inspired by Black leaders like Malcolm X.

In 2011, she helped start her first poetry slam team. It was called Spitshine Slam. They performed at Brave New Voices. In 2014, her team ranked first in a big college poetry competition. This was the College Unions Poetry Slam International (CUPSI).

Brown studied at the University of Texas at Austin. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. She focused on African Diaspora Studies and Mexican American Studies. She also got a Master of Fine Arts degree in poetry. This was from the University of Pittsburgh. She is now working on a new poetry book. It will be about her life and finding her identity.

Her Poetry Work

Ariana Brown continues to take part in poetry slams. She has performed her poems all over the United States. She also leads workshops to help others write healing poetry. She has performed at many places. These include the San Antonio Guadalupe Theater and the San Francisco Opera Theatre.

Brown writes poetry to uplift Black people. She honors her ancestors and their history. She wants to inspire communities that feel left out. Her poetry also helps Black girls express their feelings.

She writes about anti-Blackness within the Mexican community. She supports Black Chicanx individuals. Some people call Brown a "part-time curandera". This is because her poetry helps heal issues of race, gender, and identity. She connects old traditions with new problems in her poems.

"We Are Owed" Collection

In 2021, Brown's poetry book “We Are Owed” was published. She worked on it for six years. A scholar named Jonathan Cortez described the title. He said it is a "call to action" and a "reclamation."

Another writer, Ali Black, said the book is unique. It mixes poems with notes from Brown's college classes. This makes it feel like a diary and a history book. In this collection, Brown explores her identity. She looks at being Black and Mexican-American.

Brown's poems also bring back forgotten Black historical figures. These include Gaspar Yanga and Estevanico. Brown was frustrated that she had to use YouTube to learn Black history. So, she wrote poems about Yanga. In one poem, she asks Yanga to send her a picture. She later accepts that she cannot find his image online. She decides to love her own face instead.

She also talks about how Black Chicanx people are not shown correctly. For example, in the game Lotería. Brown also shares about her trip to Mexico City. She was the only Black person on the trip. She felt disconnected from Latino culture there. This was because Afro-Latinos are often ignored. She highlights how Blackness is erased in Mexico. She also addresses the challenges Afro-Latinos face.

"Sana Sana" Chapbook

In 2020, Ariana Brown published her poetry chapbook, Sana Sana. This book explores her life as a Black woman. It covers themes of love, life, and womanhood. The book's title comes from a Spanish saying. It means "Heal, heal, little frog's tail, if it doesn't heal today, it will heal tomorrow." Brown says this book is about her journey towards healing through writing.

Her work has been featured in many places. These include PBS, Huffington Post, Blavity, and Remezcla.

Brown's poem "Inhale: The Ceremony" shows her connection to her ancestors. It also talks about the often-ignored history of Afro-Latinas. She notes that people often see her only as Black. Her Latina identity is sometimes overlooked. This can make her feel alone. Through her work, Brown wants to make these connections visible. She challenges old stories that have erased such identities.

In 2024, her work was part of a big art show. It was called Xican-a.o.x. Body. This show featured Chicano artists. It was displayed at the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture. Later, it moved to the Pérez Art Museum Miami.

Ariana Brown's poem "A Division of Gods" explores identity and history. It talks about colonization during a visit to Templo Mayor in Mexico City. Through this poem, Brown asks readers to think about the impact of colonization. She encourages a deeper understanding of history.

Personal Life

Ariana Brown is a Black Mexican American poet. She has openly shared about her identity. She was born in San Antonio, Texas. Her father was African American and her mother is Mexican American. Her experiences have greatly shaped her work. She uses poetry to explore racial identity and cultural politics. She also writes about how Blackness is sometimes ignored in Mexican communities.

Ariana Brown embraces both her Black and Mexican heritage. She has faced anti-Blackness within the Mexican community. She remembers being called a hurtful name at age five. Her elementary school principal also told her that her hair was "outlandish."

Brown's interest in history comes from her father. He passed away before she was born. This made her think about her family's past. This focus on identity is clear in her books. These include Sana Sana and We Are Owed. Her poems often discuss race, ethnicity, and gender. She talks honestly about finding her place in both Black and Latinx communities.

Brown is also a part-time curandera. This shows her focus on healing in her writing. She includes themes of emotional and spiritual healing. She draws from her experiences in poetry slams. She also learns from her growing understanding of history and identity.

Ariana Brown has become the role model she needed when she was younger. She addresses the complexities of her identity through her poetry. Growing up, she did not see many Afro-Latina women from working-class backgrounds in books. This lack of relatable figures pushed her to create work. She wanted to celebrate her mixed heritage.

In an interview, Brown talked about how important community is to her. She felt disconnected from the academic world. She said, "I belong in my community."

In high school, Brown found inspiration in Malcolm X's autobiography. She admired how he used words to make a difference. This made her believe that mastering language could help her. She started writing poems about her experiences. She lived in a mostly Mexican community. Soon, she was performing on slam poetry stages.

Honors and Awards

• Ranked first overall at the College Unions Poetry Slam International (CUPSI) (2014)
• Received the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, San Antonio Artist Grant (2019)

Works

• We Are Owed, Grieveland, July 2021.
• Sana Sana (debut poetry chapbook), Game Over Books, January 2020
• LET US BE ENOUGH (debut poetry EP), February 22, 2019
• “quaker blake” Barrelhouse Magazine, December 9, 2018
• “Alternate Memory, or Love Dances Barefoot After the Men Have Disappeared” Barrelhouse Magazine, December 9, 2018
• “Introductions” Scalawag Magazine, October 1, 2018
• “In Defense of Santana’s ‘Maria Maria,’ Featuring Wyclef & the Product G&B” Rattle, January 29, 2018
• “Minute Fathers” Sidekick Lit, Issue Four
• “A Division of Gods” Winter Tangerine, 2017
• “Abuela, de Carrizo Springs” As/Us, September 17, 2017
• “Supremacy” Muzzle, June 2017
• “Nylon, Black, ‘72” BOAAT
• “At the End of the Sword” Neptantla, Issue 3
• “Always, There is Music” African Voices, July 8, 2016
• “Don’t Know Nobody from Ellis Island” Bird’s Thumb, June 2016
• “Invocation” & “Sunday Morning” HEArt Online, April 4, 2016
• “Ossuary” Rattle: Poets Respond, October 25, 2015