Meet the Spoken Black Girl Magazine Issue 5: Motherhood Contributors
We are pleased to introduce the newest group of contributors to Spoken Black Girl Magazine Issue 5: Motherhood. Read about them and follow their journeys!
T.T. Abari
Tonya "T.T." Abari is a multigenre storyteller – author, independent journalist, freelance editor, and book reviewer. Her words and reviews can be found in Publishers Weekly, Womanly Magazine, SWING Magazine, Raising Mothers, AARP’s Sisters Letter, USA Today, Good Housekeeping, ZORA, and many more! She has published and forthcoming children’s books with The Innovation Press, Mudpuppy, HarperCollins, Penguin, and Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. Abari is also a teaching artist with PorchTN and the Books on Books on Books column editor for Raising Mothers. As a Hurston-Wright Writers Week and Carnegie Hall/Roots.Words.Wounds. creative nonfiction alum, her writing often centers on her multifaceted life as a Black woman and mother in the United States.
Natasha Elle Thomas
Natasha Elle Thomas is a transdisciplinary writer, artist, educator, and healing arts practitioner whose work lives at the intersection of social justice, embodied spirituality, creative activism, and transformative change. Grounded in the wisdom traditions of her creative, cultural, and ancestral foremothers, she specializes in the reclamation, decolonization, and preservation of spiritual and political practices, rituals, and technologies that serve as pathways to personal and collective healing and liberation. Natasha's written works have been featured in publications such as The Hollywood Reporter, The Body is Not an Apology (TBINAA), Womanly Magazine, Kalfou: A Journal of Comparative and Relational Ethnic Studies, The Assisi Institute Journal: Memes & Memories, and more. She also wrote the poetic foreword for IMAGN – Increasing Minority Awareness of Genetics Now, a report published by the Black Congressional Caucus and John Hopkins University Genetics and Public Policy Center. She is a writing instructor at midnight & indigo, a small publisher and literary journal dedicated to providing a platform for Black women writers to share our narratives. Specializing in short fiction and essay writing, midnight & indigo aims to contribute to the rich Black literary tradition while amplifying marginalized voices. There, Natasha teaches a course titled "Narrative Essay Writing for Healing & Liberation." Natasha is working on her first book and was recently honored with selection for the 2024 Sojourn of Return Writing Residency in Dakar and La Petite Cote, Senegal. To learn more about Natasha and her work, visit www.natashathomasonline.com.
Tayllor Oyewole-Davis
Tayllor Oyewole-Davis is a poet, writer, educator, performer, activist, and founder of Sisterhood (verb), Inc. A published poet, she has been writing and performing her poetry and written works for over 15 years. She liberates, investigates, and celebrates herself through her written and spoken word and inspires others to do the same. Tayllor's journey fighting for justice and healing as a Black woman in America led her to create Sisterhood (verb), Inc., a creative consulting business dedicated to uplifting Black women and youth through art and community and consulting with other organizations in arts education, social justice, and community building with creativity at the center.
Martheaus Perkins
Martheaus Perkins is an MFA candidate at George Mason University in Virginia. He is an emerging Black writer who often writes about Black motherhood and contemporary violence against people of color. He was inspired to write by Rita Dove, Ada Limón, and Langston Hughes. He hopes to one day teach African American literature and poetry in his home state of Texas.
Instagram: @mark__perkins
Maroula Blades
Maroula Blades is an Afro-British multidisciplinary artist who has lived in Berlin since 1993. After Brexit, she acquired German citizenship too. She was awarded 2nd place for the German 2023 Amadeu Antonio Prize for her interdisciplinary educational project, 'Stones in Symphony'. In June 2023, she was awarded a novella in-progress grant from the UK Society of Authors Foundation and the K. Blundell Trust, and in April 2023, a project grant from the Jan Michalski Foundation for Writing and Literature. She was selected for the 2021 INITIAL Special Grant from the Academy of Arts in Berlin. In 2020, Chapeltown Books released her story collection, 'The World in an Eye'. Works were published in The Caribbean Writer, Thrice Fiction, The Freshwater Review, Ake Review, Abridged, The London Reader, So It Goes, and the Newfound Journal, among others. Regularly, Ms. Blades gives bilingual poetry workshops in Berlin schools and high schools. Her multimedia projects have been presented at many international literary festivals in Germany, i.e., the Berlin International Poetry Festival, the Hamburg Book Festival, Humboldt University, Brecht House, and Lit-Cologne.
Website: http://poetrykitchen.com/
Nathelie Zetrenne-Norman
Nathelie Zetrenne-Norman, is a Haitian copywriter, freelance writer, author and the brains behind Z House Publishing. A small women, veteran and Haitian-owned independent publishing agency that strives to diversify literary spaces and bring storytelling to the forefront of businesses. Her passion lies in crafting immersive experiences through the art of language, using metaphors and analogies to transport readers and clients to uncharted territories of thought and feeling. I am a three time self published author and you may have seen my work gracing the websites of various brands like BirminghamMomCollective, HaitiansWhoBlog and CarmaNaturals just to name a few.
Instagram: @NATTHEAUTHOR TikTok: @katwian
Aurelia Luciano
Aurelia is a Dominican American Poet & Event Producer. Aurelia writes about her life experiences as a millennial, black, & Latinx woman. In 2021, she began sharing her work with the world through her poetry on IG, and a few local organizations like JC Art Productions, NJ Theatre Alliance, and publications with Olney Magazine, Milk Press, the Jersey Journal, and Canvas Rebel. With a deeply rooted love for poetry and event planning, Aurelia has been hosting her Golden Light Open Mic and other high vibrational events at various locations in JC& beyond for a little over 2 years now. Aurelia is a community event host/curator, single mother to a rockstar and the light of her own life. She resides in Northern NJ and is currently working on her debut poetry book, Evergreen.
Instagram: @goldenlightpoetry
Camille Hernandez
Camille Hernandez is an author, educator, and facilitator. She names herself a literary doula: tenderly providing readers with the strength to birth the unnamed vocabularies of our deepest ache to find pathways towards our collective liberation. Her debut book, The Hero and the Whore, debuted as Amazon’s #1 new release in the sociology of abuse genre. She lives in Anaheim, CA with her family.
Instagram & TikTok: @writercamille
Shenea “Shea” Brown
Shenea “Shea” Brown is New York Native born and raised in the Bronx and a second -generation Jamaican. She is a School Psychologist by day and Community Curator by Night. She’s a mama to a handsome baby boy. She founded HerCollectively in 2019. The mission is to create highly curated events that bring women of color together; forming bonds that are unbreakable so that they can embrace who they are collectively.
Instagram: @hercollectively_
Website: www.hercollectively.com
Dr. Kyrah K. Brown
Dr. Kyrah K. Brown is a creative, an advocate, and a scholar. She works as an assistant professor of public health and director of the Maternal and Reproductive Health Equity Research Lab at the University of Texas at Arlington. Her work investigates the social and structural determinants, embedded in gendered racism and colorism, that shape Black women's cardiovascular and reproductive health across the life course. She is active in her community and passionate about working collaboratively to demand and create healthier communities in which Black families and other minoritized populations can survive and thrive.
Lyanna Moore
Lyanna Moore, a Detroit native now rooted in Grand Rapids, MI, embodies the essence of a compassionate wife, nurturing mother, dedicated doula, and astute business owner. Her unwavering belief in equitable reproductive care fuels her advocacy for those in need, championing the cause with fervor and empathy. From her early years as a preteen, Lyanna discovered her passion for writing, which has flourished and deepened over time. Alongside nurturing her family, she ardently pursues her love for the written word, weaving narratives that echo her values and experiences.
In her bustling household, Lyanna shares her life with her supportive husband and three vibrant daughters, fostering an environment steeped in love, empathy, and a commitment to making a difference in the lives of others.
FB: Moore 2 Love Doula Services IG: Moore2love_doulaservices TikTok: moore2lovedoula
Adrienne Prather
Adrienne Prather is an Atlanta native who enjoys writing and reciting poetry and is the author of Reflections of Love, an inspirational poetry book and Encouragement Cafe a self-help book to encourage and strengthen Educators. Prather's poem Dream on Dreamer was featured in Rolling Out Magazine. Her testimony was written in a book entitled, I've Got a Testimony. Also, Prather's poetry, Ruler of Everything was featured in the Rejoice Atlanta newspaper. In the lifestyle section of the Clayton Neighbor newspaper, Adrienne shared her gift of poetry with the world in an article written about her. Adrienne graduated from Atlanta Metropolitan College with an Associate of Arts Degree in Mass Communications and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Journalism from Georgia State University. At Ashworth College, she received a Diploma in Writing Children's Books Program and proudly graduated with Honors. Encouraging and motivating others is what she is called to do.
IG: @tmialuv
G. Sanders
While G usually loves to write— her short stories have been featured in magazines like Short Fiction Break and The Writer’s Playground— her first love was drawing. You can find more of G’s artwork and writing on the online art magazine The Drawing Room. Last year brought many changes to her life but her new little muse has filled her with so much joy.
https://g-sanders-site.squarespace.com/
IG: @sketchlilthings
Maholin Navarro
My name is Maholin Navarro. I am a Journalist, entrepreneur and a Writer from Venezuela, currently based in Ireland since 10 years ago. I am passionate about writing and researching topics related to Black Women, especially everything linked to Black People from Latin America. I am a social activist interested in equality, LGBTQ+, racism, and xenophobia. I am constantly expressing my point of view through my writing, which is generally about social topics that are not so comfortable to talk about on a daily basis. My principal mission as a writer is to create that question mark; about topics that people normally think they have clear and understood. I want people to recognize that not everything is black and white but instead there's a lot of nuances. I have a previous writing background in Spanish language, writing theater plays, and press including: TV, newspapers, social media, and magazines. In 2020 Rowana Abbensetts launched me as a writer and guest Editor in English for Spoken Black Girl New York, which has been a very enriching and powerful experience.
Social Media @gmahohoji
Email: maholinnavarro1@gmail.com
Dr. Shameka Poetry Thomas, PhD, MA (she/her/goddess)
Dr. SHAMEKA POETRY THOMAS, PhD, MA (she/her/goddess) is a Global Maternal and Child Health Scientist, Medical Sociologist, International Poet, and Meditation-Yoga Instructor who recently completed the Fogarty International Global Health Fellowship at Harvard University, School of Public Health. As anearly-career principal investigator, she finalized her data collection, founding and leading a project called: SICKLE CELL WOMEN & GIRLS (S.W.A.G.) PROJECT OF ACCRA, GHANA, at the Ghana Institute of Clinical Genetics, while living abroad in Ghana for 12 consecutive months. Dr. Thomas also completed a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) /National Human Genomics Research Institutes (NHGRI)-Bethesda campus, where her scientific research focused on patient perceptions of noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) among Black women with genetic conditions, such as sickle cell disease. Dr. Thomas earnedher Ph.D.in August 2020 from University of Miami, where her dissertation entitled, “Giving Birth in South Florida: A Phenomenological Study on the Pregnancy and Birthing Experiences among Black Women,” was nominated for the Most Outstanding Dissertation award. Dr. Thomas is an alum of Spelman College (a historically Black college for woman), where her research also won the Scholar‐Activism award for being a distinguished global health scholar at the University of California-Berkeley and at University of Cape Town, South Africa. Currently, Dr. Thomas is the Vice President of the Beyond Global Health Anthology and editor on the advisory board for Springer Nature’s Maternal and Child Health Journal. She joins the Ohio State University’s College of Medicine as the Provost Fellow’s Faculty on the tenure track in the Center of Bioethics, focusing on global bioethics, race, and health equity. To learn more about her African-inspired wellness lifestyle brand and travel experiences, subscribe to her YouTube channel @DrPoetrySpeaksHealth
Emelda (“E”) De Coteau
Emelda Juanita De Coteau is a loving wife, mama, creative (writer, podcaster, spiritual activist / organizer), and believer seeking God anew in each moment. Although based in Baltimore, this daughter of a Honduran immigrant feels at home throughout the world.
She leads Pray with Our Feet (PWF), an online community lifting the intersection of progressive Christian faith and social justice; she co-hosts the PWF podcast with her Mom, Trudy.
Her writing has appeared in Good Faith Media, Spoken Black Girl Magazine, Good Life Detroit, Beautifully Said Magazine, The Baltimore Times, and on the Pray with our Feet website where she regularly blogs and shares devotionals on spiritual life. Emelda has also blogged for women-led organizations: Breaking the Silence...Healing the Pain and Modestine Tea.
She is also the founder of When Motherhood Looks Different, a community -based small business helping Mamas of neurodivergent kids and Moms with chronic illness center mindfulness and connect in community by offering events, resources, support and mindfulness coaching. Emelda is a certified mindfulness coach and trauma informed mindfulness facilitator.
Instagram: @Whenmotherhoodlooksdifferent @Praywithourfeet
Website: Praywithourfeet.org
LaToya Samantha Smith
LaToya Samantha Leidig emigrated from Nassau, Bahamas to Delray Beach, Florida when she was two years old. Her parents, Jamaican natives- left the Caribbean in search of solace from political unrest, and the promise of the American Dream. After earning her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science at Bethune-Cookman College, LaToya became a humanities instructor at her former high school. She has since maintained a career as a teacher working with At-Promise students in Florida, Maryland and California. LaToya is a writer with an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Lindenwood University. She maintains a blog with writings dedicated to parenthood and social justice. LaToya is also the author of a thought-provoking children’s book called Poor Mr. Monday, and a journal called Overcoming Mom Guilt.
Chrystol Wilson-Payne
Chrystol Wilson-Payne, an experienced writer and Licensed Professional Counselor, leverages her diverse upbringing as a military brat to connect with people. Despite being an introvert, she finds joy in connecting with others through her writings, workshops, and social media presence. She empowers individuals to prioritize their mental and emotional health, guiding them to identify internal struggles, heal wounds, and move towards their purpose. Chrystol counts it an honor to partner with many on their journey to better.
Mari Corona
Blessings beautiful souls, my name is Mari Corona and I am a photographer and writer who empowers, motivates, and inspires through images and words. I also work as a Wellness Advocate holding workshops that encourage BIPOC self-care, mental health, and women’s wellness as a priority, not an after-thought. I am an International Healing through Art Facilitator advocating for Transforming traumas into the foundation that Creates your Best Life.
Dr. Lisa Roy
Dr. Lisa Roy is an emerging writer. Her day job is as the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Early Childhood. She has a doctorate in leadership for educational equity, a masters in counseling psychology and counselor education, and a bachelors in psychology and speech communication. Most recently Dr. Roy completed a graduate certificate in advanced writing from the University of Nebraska Omaha. She has published with Brevity, The Linden Review, and Essay Daily.
Pauline Mansfield
As an author, freelance magazine writer for Kin and Dignity Magazine, and biographer for Story Terrace Ltd, Pauline Mansfield shares her stories and creates legacy stories for others as a story artisan. Writing is her passion, and Pauline translates that passion into life stories for herself and others. She holds a B.A. degree in Psychology and a Master's Degree in Business Leadership.
Traci Neal
Traci Neal is a neurodivergent spoken word artist listed on Poets & Writers residing in Columbia, SC. She is featured in The New York Times, Mahogany (Hallmark) writing community, The Elevation Review, 1619 Speaks Anthology in 2023 (Sims Library of Poetry), and many other media publications. In 2023, she was a Pushcart Prize Nominee for The Elevation Review, longlisted for the African Diaspora Award with Kinsman Quarterly, the second-place poetry winner of the National Career Development Association, and the second-place poetry winner of the South Carolina Career Development Association. Neal uses her poetry platform to help bring awareness to non-profits in need worldwide.
Tangela Williams-Spann
Tangela Williams-Spann is a writer, mother, favorite auntie to many, and mental health advocate. She enjoys using her unique voice to share the experiences of Black Women and Femmes in America. Tangela’s first book, Sad, Black, And Fat: Musings from the intersection was published in 2021 and her second book is expected in 2024. Her passion for learning has allowed her to obtain degrees in sociology and special education. When not looking for effective self-care strategies, she enjoys gardening, napping, and crochet.
Facebook, Threads and IG @twillspann
Requel Jasmine
Requel Jasmine, a dedicated blogger at voyagetoher.com exploring and expressing the journey of womanhood, revels in the evolution of her writing. Initiated as a coping mechanism during the passing of her mother, her words became a lens through which someone finally saw her for who she is. This transformative process unfolded into a healing journey, unveiling writing as an integral part of her purpose.
Ari Foster
Ari Foster was born in Japan to parents serving in the United States Air Force. Raised in South Carolina, Ari has been writing poetry as a means of reflection and expression since early childhood. Currently, she serves as a social worker and licensed therapist, providing advocacy and therapy to children, adults, and families impacted by violence, abuse and trauma. Ari’s writing most frequently visits themes of coming of age, odes to southern imagery and black art, and reflections on motherhood and relationships. She tells stories of hurt and healing, including her own, and believes deeply in honoring the aesthetic of her nostalgia. As with her own healing, she finds beauty in the healing experiences of others, and continues to be inspired to creativity and storytelling that honors the unique journeys within and around her.
Dr. Anjuliet G. Woodruffe
Dr. Anjuliet G. Woodruffe, is a Communication Scholar who uses autoethnography, poetry and Black transnational feminist frameworks to explore issues of Black identity.
Nubia DuVall Wilson
Nubia DuVall Wilson is a published poet and author, TV/film producer and advocate for survivors of sexual abuse. In May 2018, she published her second book, The Survivors Club, a supernatural novella inspired by her journey to heal as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse. The novella is the inspiration behind a TV pilot in development through her production company, Starfury Productions. When she is not managing the day-to-day operations of her lifestyle-focused public relations and marketing firm, Cielo Consulting, she works to break through the silence around the high prevalence of child sexual abuse in the United States—especially among women of color—and the long-term effects of abuse into adulthood. Nubia graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University, with a degree in English and a minor in Religion. She lives in New Jersey with her family. Learn more at www.nubiaduvall.com and on IG and TikTok @NubiaDWilson
http://www.youtube.com/@nubiaduvallwilson1163
IG - https://www.instagram.com/nubiadwilson/ -
Brookie Madison
Brookie Madison (she/her) is a writer, poet, storyteller, and creative from Ohio. Her passions include writing (poetry, articles, short stories), reading, supporting small businesses and entrepreneurs, attending open mics, and creating content that cultivates and amplifies Black life and a community of Black writers. In 2021, Brookie published her book of poems, “Confessions of A Good Girl,” which is available on Amazon. To view more of her work, go to brookiemmadison.com or follow her on Instagram @brookiemmadison.poetry.
Francena Ottley
Francena Ottley is a Dominican- American, New York-based Textile Artist, Photographer, Installation Artist, and Mother. Her work consists of using different mediums to create narrative pieces that focus on empowering people of color and uses her art as a tool for visual activism. Her goal is to always make work that speaks to people, empowers people, and shares knowledge while always remaining authentic.
Social media: Instagram.com/lebleuart
Caneeka Elleanor Miller
Caneeka Elleanor Miller is the Author of IN A HIGH PLACE: Black Motherhood and a Woman Rising. A four-time self-published author, she has a degree in Human Development with a concentration in Family Studies from the University of Alabama. She has an MBA from the University of Phoenix, and she has completed coursework towards a Master of Jurisprudence degree in Children’s Law and Policy with Loyola University Chicago School of Law which helps nonlegal professionals better serve children and families. After experiencing a miscarriage before having her second child, Caneeka was empowered to be apart of the inaugural DONA I.M.P.A.C.T. (Improving Maternal health Practices and Advocacy through Certification and Training) cohort to become a DONA trained Postpartum Doula. She recognized the importance having hands on support after each childbirth or child loss has on the well-being of the mother and thus the family unit. Caneeka has shared her story with universities, student organizations, middle schools, women’s ministries, the Wall Street Journal, creatives conference, organizations like AAUW and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, Housing Urban Development (HUD) government agency, local radio, local TV, and magazines.A mother of two boys and a loving wife of 16 years, Caneeka resides in the Rocket City.
Schyler Butler
A recipient of an Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Award, Schyler Butler's work appears in African American Review, Obsidian, Transition, Cordella, swamp pink, and elsewhere.
Currently, she lives in Columbus, OH, where she is pursuing an MFA in Creative Writing at The Ohio State University.
Angie Soul
Lifestyle blogger living in the Tampa Bay area. Wife. Mommy. Career woman. 33 and thriving.
IG: angmeetssoul
Michele Evans
Michele Evans, a fifth-generation Washingtonian (D.C.), is a writer, high school English teacher, and adviser for her school's literary magazine, Unbound. Despite always wearing the color black, she exhibits a certain fondness for blueberries, blue hydrangeas, blues musicians, and Blue Mountain coffee. This 2023 Pushcart Prize nominee and winner of the ASP Bulletin poetry contest has been published in Artemis Journal, Maryland Literary Review, The Write Launch, and elsewhere. purl, her debut collection of poetry, is forthcoming from Finishing Line Press in 2025.
Instagram: awordsmithie
Tamara J. Madison
Tamara J. Madison is a writer, poet, and editor with work recorded, published and produced in various journals, magazines, and anthologies. She has also presented on the TEDx platform. She is creator of BREAKDOWN: The Poet & The Poems, a YouTube conversation series. Her most recent poetry collection is Threed, This Road Not Damascus (Trio House Press).
@tamarajmadison on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and LinkedIn
Ashley Crooks-Allen
Ashley Crooks-Allen (They/Them) is the Dubois-Mandela Rodney / Anti-Racism Collaborative Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Michigan. They recently obtained their PhD from the University of Georgia, where they focused on Black ethnic identity, social movements, and social media. Their dissertation is titled, “Mestizaje Undone: A Qualitative Social Media Analysis of Afro-Latinx Identity & Social Movements.” This work takes a qualitative approach to understanding how Afro-Latinx people use social media to make identity claims in relation to the Black Lives Matter movement.
Dr. Crooks-Allen's master's research, also at the University of Georgia, focused on Afro-Caribbean identity and experiences with the Black Lives Matter movement in Georgia. They also completed a graduate certificate in women’s and gender studies. They graduated from Emory University with a major in creative writing and a minor in sociology. While at Emory, they were a Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellow.
Dr. Crooks-Allen is from Irvington, NJ and is of Afro-Costa Rican descent. Their interest in Black migratory identity formation developed while living the effects of their parents migrating to the US and settling into Black prescribed spaces. In conjunction with academia, they also devote time to spoken word poetry and activism.
Leonora Martelly
Leonora Martelly, a quadruple award-winning AUTHORpreneur, is renowned for her self-published works. As the founder of SHE IS MADE LLC, she passionately delves into mass media, youth development, and project management. Her multifaceted roles span from curator, host, and public speaker to activist, mental health advocate, and champion of self-care. Leonora's impactful voice resonates through her literary achievements and her dedication to fostering positive change and empowerment within communities. Her most important role you ask ? Being a mom to her beautiful daughter Leyana.
IG: Whois.leonora & Sheis.made
TikTok: Blissfullee
Q.R. Williams
Q.R. Williams is a certified notary public and creative writer. Throughout her career, she has mainly served within Healthcare and Customer Service. Q.R. previously held the professional titles of: Care Navigator Supervisor, Senior Administrative Assistant, and Client Service Professional. She is certified as an Etiquette Decorum Instructor, Community Health Worker, Mental Health First Aid Advocate, and Reflective Conversation Facilitator. She is also certified in Restorative Justice 101. Q.R. was a featured digital photography artist within the 'When Homeward You Turn' Exhibition at Dittmar Gallery' [Northwestern University]. Recently, she completed the Women's Entrepreneurship Program at Cornell University. Q.R. is married to husband, Joshua & the mother of John and Jalani.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087571743593&mibextid=ZbWKwL
Melanie Andrade Williams
Melanie Andrade Williams is a first-gen Cape Verdean American who grew up in Central Florida in a bustling diverse community where she was unaware of the realities of racism in the modern day, until she left for college at 19 and attended an HBCU, where she learned of the tragic murder of Trayvon Martin and became a student activist. Her favorite authors are James Baldwin, Toni Morrison and Octavia Butler. Melanie is a black feminist, loves writing poetry, shorts, and is working on her first novel. Melanie currently works as a lobbyist and reproductive justice organizer and has a Bachelors in Legal Support and Services.
Arika Parr
Arika Parr is a children’s book author based in St. Louis, MO where she lives with her daughter, Ava. From a very young age, Arika loved words and creative writing. Her passion for storytelling propelled her career as a TV & radio producer and community development professional. Then Ava came along, and Arika found a new passion – teaching her daughter, as well as other children, the importance of looking within for encouragement, positive self-talk, and perseverance.
This was the beginning of a new and exciting phase of Arika’s life, where she merged her two passions, old and new, to create something special: Ava + Mommy Publishing. It’s a way for Arika to use Ava’s real-life challenges to create social and emotional learning solutions through storytelling, in hopes of providing support and inspiration for other kids and parents.
IG - Ava-AndMommy and Arika Parr
Michelle Parks
Michelle Parks is the mother of four and has served the Community of Women for over 20 years. She has served as a Women’s Center Director, Legal Advocate, Case Manager, Group Counselor, and Lobbyist for women’s issues. Michelle established her first language school in Cairo, Egypt in 2005, and has successfully established a global presence. Among Michelle's numerous artistic endeavors is singing jazz at local venues, hosting a podcast about life in the MimiVerse, and maintaining a blog about her world travels with her children.
https://maadi-language-lab.blogspot.com/p/writing-workshops.html
https://open.spotify.com/episode/4EtUoUNaI7PETONw6LKawB?si=Gtp3tQtNRV643EBj7gb2bA
Ryana Burrell
Ryana is an artist and storyteller with a professional background in social design. Her worldview has been shaped and framed by constant movement — as the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, and growing up between the United States and South Africa. Ryana has now settled in New York City, where her creative spirit feels most at home, with her partner and her son.
attorious renée augustin
attorious renée augustin is a nonbinary (they/them), queer, performance poet, filmmaker, and educator from Wanamassa, NJ. Their work focuses on transformation and community, and their hope is for their art to serve as a catalyst in the liberation of all people from oppressive systems. Attorious received their poetry MFA at Rutgers University- Newark, the host of Lampblack’s Instagram Live Series, “The Inky Bulb” and is the Educational Development Director with EvoluCulture.
Dr. Ashley Gaddy Robbins
For many of us, our calling comes to us at a young age. Dr. Ashley Gaddy Robbins first heard her calling in her early years and followed that voice in pursuit of advocating for equity in underserved communities. Dr. Gaddy Robbins serves as the founder and head consultant of Ashley Gaddy Enterprises, an organizational culture agency that centers humanity using an authentic approach. Dr. Gaddy Robbins is a North Carolina native and received her Bachelor’s in Communication Studies and Master’s in Liberal Studies from the University of North Carolina Wilmington and PhD in Cultural Studies at George Mason University. As a Black woman who has worked mostly in predominantly white spaces in the south, Dr. Gaddy Robbins spends much time advocating for vulnerable identity groups and centering their power. She is a wife, Amma to 4 girls, and member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
https://ashleygaddyenterprises.com/
N.R. Howard
N.R. Howard is a writer, researcher, and creator. By day she is a college professor with expertise in media, communications, Black motherhood, and the intersections of race, gender, and sexuality in the media and society. She has written for both academic and popular outlets on topics pertaining to reproductive justice issues, activism, and Black women in hip-hop and on television. By night she works on her two main passions: writing and creating.
Cynthia Robinson Young
Cynthia Robinson Young, a native of Newark, New Jersey, now lives in Tennessee after taking a 30-year haitus in the California Bay Area. Nominated for the Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net, her work has appeared in journals and magazines, including The Amistad, Poetry South, Rigorous,Charlotte Lit, and The Writer's Chronicle. She is the author of Migration (Finishing Line Press).
IG: @cyndigene; (Twitter) X:@young_young8
Lou-Ann Wattley Belk
Lou-Ann Wattley Belk is a compassionate creative, childbirth educator, postpartum companion, wife and mother of 2 amazing children. As the creator of Well Worth Watering, she offers support to expecting parents that help them uncover wisdom and confidence along their childbirth journey. Along with her husband, Lou-Ann uncovers new ways to speak life into her children’s growing hearts and minds each day. Both raised in Brooklyn, New York, they now live in Northern Virginia.
Instagram: @wellworthwatering
Reign X
Poet, Digital Artist, Photographer, Podcaster, and Politica, living in New Mexico.
Instagram: i_am_reign_artistcommune
Jade Jemison
Jade Jemison is a 3rd year graduate student at USF, and a nonfiction writer exploring topics of pregnancy, reproductive health, and motherhood. She also studies mother-daughter relationships in literature and how they impact modern society. Her thesis is a memoir about her experiences with pregnancy, loss, and healing. She is a mother of two.
Aisha N. Willis
Aisha N. Willis is obsessed with words and their power to create communities. She is curious about how those words are used to affect the built environment and their impact on systemic structures. Aisha believes the common unity that exists in expanded communities is affected greatly by how we discuss their people.
Aisha is a freelance content strategist, poet, public speaker, and wannabe musician. She enjoys playing video games, reading comic books, watching anime, and streaming music from the comfort of her Dallas home.
Aisha has lived through some really uncomfortable things that make her comfortable speaking up and out for those who don't have a voice.
Amber C. Earls
Philadelphia Native, ReadiWriter, editor, swing dancer, vocalist, living on purpose.
Triston Dabney
Triston Dabney is an undergraduate Oprah Winfrey Scholar from Baltimore, MD. He hopes to pursue a career in higher education and publish a collection of poems in the near future. You can find his work in Break bread magazine, Elevation Review, and Timberline Review among others.
Ig & Twitter- Tristandbelieve
Quey Jacqueal
Quey Jacqueal (she/her/hers) is a Black Queer Black-American writer. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, and roots in Mississippi. She has two B.A.s, one in Journalism and the other in Creative Writing, emphasizing Poetry and Fiction—a social worker by day and a bleeding-hearted poet at night.
Shiela Denise Scott
Shiela Denise Scott, award-winning letter writer, chosen to exhibit quoter, poet, and photographer published in multiple magazines, and anthologies looks forward to entertaining the art connoisseurs. Her skills earned at Full Sail University and Antonelli College allows her to display her works in creative displays she hopes you enjoy.
Katonya Trent
Katonya Trent was born and raised in Riverhead, NY located on the east end of Long Island. After having a traumatic birth experience, she was inspired to become an author. Her son has helped her change her perspective on life. She is on a mission of bringing her story to light while educating the world about the challenges that could arise from having a preterm birth. By sharing her story, she hopes to reassure others of their inner strengths when being placed in some of the most difficult situations in life.
Katonya obtained her bachelor’s in Accounting from Lincoln University, the first Historical Black College/University, in December of 2007. Her desire to help others helped her land a career at a non-for-profit where she currently works as a Senior Program Accountant. She is responsible for budget analysis - creating, maintaining, and reconstructing financial budgets for a variety of programs that are implemented to help communities throughout Suffolk County, Long Island.
Katonya is a member of the Family Advisory Council at StonyBrook Hospital where she advocates for family-centered care and a volunteer for the Ronald McDonald Family NICU room at Stonybrook Hospital. She is an author, social impact speaker and an active member of the March of Dimes Long Island chapter. Her family was chosen to be the ambassador for the March of Dimes LI Chapter in 2022.
Katonya’s personal experience has motivated her to write her first book titled, 22 and 6 Born on 11/26 where she provides hope and encouragement to women and families who may have or will encounter a traumatic birth experience. While writing her memoir, Katonya has created a platform under the name of Konnected Thru 22, where she provides a safe space for families with premature babies to connect through stories and resources, while supporting and uplifting one another. She hosts monthly Instagram live sessions where she brings on others to share their premature birth stories. She has an ongoing fundraising to raise money to help provide care packages and essential supplies to families in the NICU on a quarterly basis.
Janessa Jones
Janessa Jones resides in Maryland. By day she works in the healthcare field for an insurance company, but by night she is an avid reader and writer. She has been writing since childhood and is working on a children's book that teaches social/emotional skills with hopes to be a published author soon.
In her free time, she also enjoys cooking, journaling, shadow work, learning about all things involving spirituality, and spending time with her active 6 year old son.
IG: itsjdeann
Destiny “Theory of Soul” Prescott
Destiny “Theory of Soul” Prescott is a spoken word artist/writer based out of the city of Long Beach. She has performed at various engagements from fundraising events to churches to music sets, using art as a way to take “ugly” truths and turn them into something beautiful others can connect with or learn from. She is excited to continue to help others find connection and healing through her craft, using her voice to amplify the stories and struggles that many times are otherwise unheard. You can find more of Theory of Soul's poetry and connect on Instagram by following her page @wordfienedes.
Sankara “Le Prince Héritier” Olama-Yai
Sankara” Le Prince Héritier” Olama-Yai is an Afro-diasporic author hailing from Cameroon & the Yoruba Kingdom. They have authored two collections: “Ebony Wings” and “Ode to our Frailty”, longlisted for the Black Sexton poetry prize, and, hopefully soon, a third collection, titled “Afro-Dreaming” Longlisted for the Thirty West chapbook prize. Outside poetry, their limited-time-interest include modeling, traveling, and Afro-futurist/surreal art. Their poems have also been published by About Place journal, Black Lesbian Collective, Rising Phoenix Press and elsewhere. They are currently looking for a home for their new Manuscript "Fatal {A}sex & Sovereign Bodies"
Jasmine Denise Tabor
Jasmine Denise Tabor is a Black queer writer from the deep south and a graduate Mellon Mays Fellow and Edith A. Hambie Poetry Prize Recipient of Spelman College C'21 currently at Syracuse University working on their poetry MFA. Works appear (or are forthcoming) in/on Poets.org, Michigan Literary Review, Agnes Scott Literary Journal, among others. Aside from writing, they co-led Salt Hill as editor-in-chief for 2022. They were a Stove Works resident, Meacham fellow for fall 2023, and Vermont Studio Resident as of Summer 2024.
Lesley Younge
Lesley Younge is a writer and educator based in Silver Spring, Maryland. She debuted as an author in March 2023 with two books for young people. Nearer My Freedom is a middle school found verse novel that uses Olaudah Equiano’s acclaimed autobiography as source text. A-Train Allen, her first picture book, was the Grand Prize Winner of the Sleeping Bear Press Own Voices, Own Stories award. A fellow of the Hurston/Wright Foundation and Anaphora Literary Arts, Lesley’s short fiction and poetry have appeared in recent issues of West Trade Review, Full Bleed, Midnight & Indigo and The Plentitudes. Her work for adults centers the fractured experiences of women and mothers, as well as the literal and imagined places where sanctuary can be found. She protects her peace through writing, meditation, yin yoga, and tending plants. You can keep in touch and find resources for teaching and writing at teacherlesley.com
IG: @teacher.lesley
Stevie Magenta
I want to write a book about my family history. This was the perfect opportunity to get started and help me focus on what I want to achieve.
Patrice Ann Bradshaw
Patrice Ann Bradshaw is an African-Caribbean-American chick who proudly reps Trinidad and Tobago. She graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School, and later from Brandeis University with a dual concentration in African and African-American Studies and Politics. She attended Harvard University’s PhD program in Government on an academic scholarship, and obtained her Masters in African-American Studies from Columbia University. She has worked on several Emmy award-winning PBS documentaries and was the Lecture Series Director for the Reel Sisters of the Diaspora Film Festival and Lecture Series. Patrice began her career as a Mental Health Advocate as the Lead Employment Specialist at Baltic Street, AEH. She has committed herself to pushing the mental health of Black folks across the Diaspora to the forefront of any conversation on mental wellness. Hip-Hop is the soundtrack to her life and, as a hard-core Hip-Hop head, believes she can spit lyrics with the best of them.
Spoken Black Girl Issue 5 delves into the profound and often overlooked topic of Black Motherhood, presenting insightful viewpoints on the maternal mortality crisis and the formidable challenges that Black mothers encounter. This issue uplifts the joys and challenges of motherhood, highlighting issues that impact Black women the most, from fertility, maternal health, maternal mental health, birth stories, and depictions of motherhood's most enlightening moments to reflections on generational trauma and hope for generational healing. This issue features art, photography, poetry, essays & fiction from emerging creatives. The cover features Author, Leonora Martelly, founder of She is Made. Photographer: Cristian Genao Photo & Films: IG @cristiangphotogrphy
Featuring Writers:
Maroula Blades, Triston Dabney, Adrienne Prather, Attorious Renee Augustin, Dr. Shameka Poetry Thomas, Dr. Kyrah K Brown, Tangela Williams-Spann, Anjuliet Woodruffe, Reign X, Traci Neal, Francena Ottley, Jasmine Tabor, Lou-Ann Belk, Shenea Brown, Melanie Andrade Williams, Nubia Wilson, Queyonna Jacqueal, Pauline Mansfield, G. Sanders, Mari Corona, Cynthia Young, Tonya Abari, Aurelia Luciano, Lesley, Aisha Willis, Leonora Martelly, Dr. Ashley Gaddy Robbins, Michele Evans, Arika Parr, Ryana Burrell, Caneeka Miller, Schyler Butler, Tamara J. Madison, Jade Jemison, Natasha Thomas, Tonya Abari, Ari Foster, Natasha Howard, Emelda De Coteau, Maholin Navarro, Lisa Roy, Michelle Parks, Jennifer Cadogan Nettingham, Nathelie Zetrenne Norman, Aisha Willis, Samantha Leidig, Brookie Madison, Destiny Prescott, Lesley Younge, Lyanna Moore, Reign X, Alexis Clark, Patrice Bradshaw, Camille Hernandez, Amber Earls, Katonya Trent, Dr. Ashley Crooks-Allen, Jasmine D. Tabor, Ari Foster, Chrystol Wilson-Payne, Aurelia Luciano, Shiela Scott, Martheaus Perkins, Sankara Olama-Yai, Tayllor Johnson, Alexis McCoy Gonzalez, Q.R. Williams, Stevie Magenta.
Editors: Rowana Abbensetts-Dobson, Emelda De Coteau, Maholin Navarro, Erika DeShay, Krystal Camacho, Christine Lee, Camille Wanliss