Judy Juanita facts for kids

Judy Juanita is an American writer. She writes poems, novels, and plays. She teaches writing at the University of California, Berkeley.

In 1968, while she was a student, Juanita became the editor-in-chief of The Black Panther. This was the newspaper for the Black Panther Party. Her novel, Virgin Soul, tells the story of a young Black woman joining the Black Panther Party. It shows the important work women did behind the scenes in the Black Power movement.

Juanita's writings are kept at Duke University. They are in a special center for African and African American history. Her plays are also kept at Ohio State University. One of her plays, "Theodicy," won a big award in 2008.

About Judy Juanita

Juanita was born Judith Hart in Berkeley, California. She grew up in Oakland. When she was 16, she started college at Oakland City College. Later, she moved to San Francisco State University.

She joined the Black Panther Party in 1967. She helped edit their newspaper, The Black Panther. She also worked on the Party's Free Breakfast for Children program. This program gave free meals to children. She earned her degrees in psychology and creative writing from San Francisco State.

Juanita also taught at San Francisco State University. She taught Black Psychology and Black Journalism. This was part of the first Black Studies program in the United States.

Her Writing and Awards

Judy Juanita is a very active writer. In 2013, her poem "Bling" was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. This is a special award for writing. In 2015, her essay "The Gun as Ultimate Performance Poem" was also nominated for a Pushcart Prize.

She has written 17 plays. These plays have been performed in many cities. Her collection of essays, DeFacto Feminism: Essays Straight Outta Oakland, was published in 2016. It was chosen as a "Book-of-the-Month" by Kirkus Reviews.

In 2014 and 2015, her short story collection The High Cost of Freeways was a finalist in a writing contest. Her short story "Cabbie" was published in a book called Oakland Noir in 2017.

Juanita has been a Buddhist since 1980. She practices Nichiren Buddhism with Soka Gakkai International.

Her recent poems can be found online. She also appeared in the 2020 Netflix show, Last Chance U: Season 5, which featured Laney College. In 2024, she received a special award called the Reginald Lockett Lifetime Achievement Award. This award honors her lifetime of writing achievements.