Quintessential Listening: Poetry Online Radio Presents Ashanti Anderson

Ashanti Anderson (she/her) is an award-winning writer who advocates for health equity, reproductive justice, disability rights, and criminal justice reform through her poetry, prose, playwriting, and more. A Black disabled queer woman herself, Ashanti’s writing frequently explores the connections between identity and health. Her debut short poetry collection, Black Under, is forthcoming with Black Lawrence Press in Fall 2021 after winning the Spring 2020 Black River Chapbook Collection. Black Under reflects the African-American experience over several era, the author leaving no stone unturned in her interrogation of the racialized violence that has occurred throughout history. At once haunting and hopeful, Ashanti “documents atrocities while singing.”

Ashanti has collaborated with universities, at-risk youth groups, nonprofits, and healthcare professionals to develop programs and activities that promote diversity, inclusion, and minority health. She received her MFA in Creative Writing in 2018 and went on to teach creative writing courses and workshops for both teens and adults. Leading by example, Ashanti encourages her students to develop multi-dimensional characters, find their unique voice, and do their research

Awards and honors:

• Winner, Black Lawrence Press Black River Chapbook Competition (Spring 2020)

• Winner, Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival Poetry Contest (2018)

• Winner, Haley’s Flight, LLC Page-to-Screen Short Film Competition (2017)