Dominique Christina (born 1974) is a writer, performer and social activist. She is a champion at the

National Poetry Series The National Poetry Series is an American literary awards program. Every year since 1979, the National Poetry Series has sponsored the publication of five books of poetry. Manuscripts are solicited through an annual open competition, judged and cho ...

and

Women of the World Poetry Slam The Women of the World Poetry Slam (WoWPS) is an annual poetry slam put on by Poetry Slam, Inc. The tournament features individual slam poets from around the world that "live their lives as women" competing to be the highest ranked woman poet in th ...

. Christina’s 4th book Anarcha Speaks won the National Poetry Series in 2017.

Education

Christina obtained a bachelor's degree in African American Studies from the University of the Pacific. She earned her Master of Education in English Language and Literature from the

University of Arkansas at Monticello The University of Arkansas at Monticello (UAM) is a public university in Monticello, Arkansas with Colleges of Technology in Crossett and McGehee. UAM is part of the University of Arkansas System and offers master's degrees, baccalaureate degrees ...

. Christina began writing poetry in 1996; she was taking her master's degree when she decided to enroll in a creative writing class.

Career

Christina is influenced by her family's involvement in the civil rights movement. She performs as a speaker and slam poet, often discussing social issues such as racism and sexism. She has spoken at colleges and universities across the United States and has been a keynote speaker at women's conferences. She also appeared at the HBO series

High Maintenance ''High Maintenance'' is an American Anthology series, anthology comedy-drama television show, television and web series, web series created by ex-husband and wife team Ben Sinclair (actor), Ben Sinclair and Katja Blichfeld. The show follows The ...

as an actress and contributing writer. Christina went viral with ''The Period Poem.'' It was written in response to the tweet of a man saying he dumped his girlfriend because she menstruated during intercourse. Christina was hailed champion at the National Poetry Series Slam in 2012. In 2017, her book ''Anarcha Speaks'' won an award from the same body. In 2012 and 2014, she was hailed as Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion. She earned the National Underground Poetry Slam Champion in 2013.

Works

Christina released poetry collection ''The Bones, the Breaking, the Balm: A Colored Girl's Hymnal'' in 2014, where she contemplated upon the African-American girl experience. In ''They Are All Me'' (2015), Christina commemorated African-American heroes and martyrs. ''This Is Woman’s Work: Calling Forth Your Inner Council of Wise, Brave, Crazy, Rebellious, Loving, Luminous Selves'' was published in 2015. It is a self-help book that explores the wisdom of female archetypes so as to integrate it in the psyche and empower oneself. It contains poetry, prose and writing exercises. The book extracts spiritual, historical and literary examples. ''Anarcha Speaks: A History in Poems'' was released in 2018. The poetry collection is reimagined in the perspective of slave

Anarcha Westcott Anarcha Westcott (c. 1828 – unknown) was an enslaved woman who underwent a series of painful experimental surgical procedures conducted by physician J. Marion Sims, without the use of anesthesia, to treat a combination of vesicovaginal fistu ...

, who endured experimentation under the medical trials of Dr. J Marion Sims, the father of modern gynecology. In 2021, after a two-year investigation by the Aurora Police Department, Dominique was convicted of stealing a house, sentenced to three years probation and a fine of over one hundred thousand dollars. She is a multiple convicted felon.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Christina, Dominique Slam poets American women writers 1974 births Living people 21st-century American women