Mia McKenzie facts for kids

Mia McKenzie is an American writer and activist. She also started a website called Black Girl Dangerous (BGD). Mia grew up in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She went to the University of Pittsburgh for her education.

Mia identifies as a Black feminist. She uses her writing and her website to share stories and ideas. Her work often focuses on the experiences of Black people and people in the LGBTQ community. She has won the Lambda Literary Award for her first novel, The Summer We Got Free. She also won it for her 2021 novel, Skye Falling. Her essays and short stories are often published on BGD. They also appear in other places, like the Kenyon Review.

Mia McKenzie gives talks at universities and conferences. She discusses how different parts of people's identities, like their race, economic background, and gender, connect and affect their lives. She currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts.

Early Life and Education

Mia McKenzie was born and grew up in Philadelphia. She came from a working-class family. The Christian church was an important part of her family's life. In an interview, Mia shared that she has a special interest in stories about Black church members. She noted how different identities can exist together in Black churches. Mia studied writing at the University of Pittsburgh.

Speeches and Events

Mia McKenzie has visited many universities and colleges. She has also spoken at different conferences. She talks about race, social class, gender, and how these parts of identity connect. Some of the places she has spoken include Brown University, Amherst College, and Michigan State University. She has also presented at Portland State University and the University of California at Berkeley. Other universities include Penn State, Oberlin College, and Reed College. She also spoke at Lawrence University, UC Santa Barbara, and the University of Oregon. Chapman University and the University of Washington are also on the list. In 2013, she gave a main speech at Harvard University. This was for the HBGC LGBTQ Youth Empowerment Conference.

Awards and Honors

Mia McKenzie has received several awards for her work:

• Astraea Foundation Writers Fund Award (2009)
• Leeway Foundation Transformation Award (2011)
• Lambda Literary Award for The Summer We Got Free (2013)
• Lambda Literary Award for Skye Falling (2021)

Important Books and Writings

Here are some of Mia McKenzie's well-known works:

• The Summer We Got Free. BGD Press. 2012
• "Illegitimate". The Kenyon Review. 2013
• "America only gets enraged about gun violence in white neighborhoods". The Guardian. April 29, 2013
• Black Girl Dangerous: On Race, Queerness, Class, and Gender. BGD Press. 2014
• "Crazy". McSweeney's Quarterly Concern, Issue 51. 2018
• Skye Falling. Random House. 2021.