Four years ago, Briana moved to Denver from Kansas City, Missouri to earn a Master’s of International Human Rights at the University of Denver. Today, she is the founding director of Unearthing Tradition, a reproductive justice organization dedicated to addressing modern issues with ancestral practices through a continuous process of rediscovery. Here’s what it means to be a Black in Denver to the local doula and reproductive justice champion.

What does it mean to you to be Black in Denver?

Black and woman. Black and queer. Black and educated. Black and doula. Black and creative. Black and…

To me, being Black in Denver means to be positioned where all parts of your blackness can receive affirmation. Don’t get me wrong – it doesn’t happen without challenges, but I’ve always won this tug of war. For me, Denver is a place that has offered me the chance to become the most beautiful version of myself. Black and all that I am.

What do you love most about living in Denver?

Not only is Colorado absolutely beautiful, but Denver has a little bit of everything for everybody. Whatever you’re seeking you can likely find it here. If not, as Denver is changing, the city is also open to receiving you and your ideas for its transformation. I love that! I truly began to explore my professional, creative, and entrepreneurial self in Denver. I need the freedom to be ever-changing, and I found that here. I feel boundless.

What are the benefits of being your authentic self?

Staying true to yourself is a breath of fresh air after shakily stating your truth. It’s the grandness of feeling seen and heard. It’s the smirk that adorns your face with a sense of pride in being 100% yourself. Sometimes it’s scary, but it’s always worth it.

In addition to supporting families before, during, and after childbirth, Briana is the Reproductive Justice Manager at Soul 2 Soul Sisters, a Black womxn led, faith-based, racial justice non-profit organization that centers the lives and experiences of Black womxn toward a vision of Black healing and liberation.

Want to be a part of the community Soul 2 Soul Sisters is cultivating? Check out “Self Love Saturdays” a healing gathering – organized by Briana – hosted every 4th Saturday of the month rooted in reclaiming ancestral traditions and radical self-love.