Ariana Brown


Ariana Brown is an American spoken word poet from Texas. In 2014, she was part of a winning team at the national collegiate poetry slam. Ariana Brown has won the “Best Poet” award twice at the same event. She is also a two-time recipient of the Academy of American Poets Prize.

Early life and education

Brown was born in San Antonio, Texas. Her father was a Black American and her mother is Mexican-American. Brown identifies as Afromexicana. Growing up, Brown struggled to find representations of herself in literature, so she decided to write poetry for young women who struggle to feel represented. She was also inspired by Black movement leaders, including Malcolm X. In 2011, she was a part of her first poetry slam team and performed at nationals.
Brown received her Bachelor's of Arts degree in African Diaspora Studies and Mexican American Studies from the University of Texas at Austin. She is currently earning a Master of Fine Arts in poetry at the University of Pittsburgh and is working on a poetry manuscript about her life, the formation of a racial identity, cultural politics, and authenticity among other themes. Brown is also working on a poetry manuscript about the conquest of the Aztecs through the lens of Black politics.

Career

Brown has continued to participate in poetry slams, has performed her poetry across the United States, and often holds poetry workshops focused on writing poetry that heals.
Brown writes poetry to uplift Black people and pay homage to her ancestors and the history of her people. She wants to inspire and uplift disempowered communities through her poetry. She also uses her poetry to validate Back girl rage. Brown has been dubbed a "part-time curandera" because her poetry deals with healing issues of race, ethnicity, gender, class, and sexual orientation. She weaves contemporary issues and tensions into her poetry. Her work has been featured in PBS, Huffington Post, Blavity, For Harriet, and Remezcla among others.

Personal life

Brown is queer.

Works