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Dominique Christina

ドミニク・クリスティナ

Dominique Christina

Aliases: Dominique Ashaheed

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1974-01-01
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Residence History
Colorado Springs, Colorado → Aurora, Colorado

Career

Occupations
poet, writer, performer, social activist, educator
Active Years
1996-
Affiliations
Slam Nuba (performance team)
Influenced By
Civil rights movement (family involvement), Oral and slam poetry traditions

Education

University of the Pacific
African American Studies
Degree: Bachelor's
Country: United States
Bachelor's degree in African American Studies
University of Arkansas at Monticello
English Language and Literature (Education)
Degree: Master of Education
Country: United States
Master of Education in English Language and Literature

Awards

Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion
2012
Organization: Women of the World Poetry Slam
Result: Winner
Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion
2014
Organization: Women of the World Poetry Slam
Result: Winner
National Underground Poetry Slam Champion
2013
Organization: National Underground Poetry Slam
Result: Winner
National Poetry Series Winner
2017
Work: Anarcha Speaks
Organization: National Poetry Series
Result: Winner
National Poetry Series Slam Champion
2012
Organization: National Poetry Series (Slam)
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Bones, the Breaking, the Balm: A Colored Girl's Hymnal

2014 Poetry

A collection of poems contemplating the African-American girlhood experience, trauma, and healing; exploring personal and collective memory and voice.

African-American experiencehealingidentity

They Are All Me

2015 Poetry

A poetry collection commemorating African-American heroes and martyrs, celebrating personal connection and collective memory.

memoryhistoryrace and resistance

This Is Woman’s Work: Calling Forth Your Inner Council of Wise, Brave, Crazy, Rebellious, Loving, Luminous Selves

2015 Self-help / Prose and Poetry

A self-help book combining poetry and prose that explores female archetypes and offers exercises to integrate and empower the self.

womanhoodarchetypesself-empowerment

Anarcha Speaks: A History in Poems

2018 Poetry (historical reimagining)

A collection that reimagines the perspective of the enslaved woman Anarcha Westcott, who endured experiments by J. Marion Sims, using poetry to give voice to those silenced by history.

medical ethicshistory of slaveryfemale embodiment

Bibliography

  • The Bones, the Breaking, the Balm: A Colored Girl's Hymnal
  • They Are All Me
  • This Is Woman’s Work: Calling Forth Your Inner Council of Wise, Brave, Crazy, Rebellious, Loving, Luminous Selves
  • Anarcha Speaks: A History in Poems

Adaptations

  • Appeared on HBO series 'High Maintenance' (actress and contributing writer)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
spoken-wordslam poetrylyrical political expression
Recurring Motifs
race and protestfemale body and sexualityancestry and memorygiving voice to historical subjects

Legacy

Dominique Christina is recognized for raising social issues through slam and performance poetry and for work focusing on African-American history and the female body. Her book 'Anarcha Speaks' was acclaimed for poetically reconstructing the voices of historical victims; however, recent legal convictions have complicated her public legacy.

In Popular Culture

  • Her piece 'The Period Poem' went viral and attracted wide attention
  • Appeared as actress and contributing writer on HBO's 'High Maintenance'

Trivia

  • Won Women of the World Poetry Slam championships in 2012 and 2014.
  • Won the National Poetry Series in 2017 for 'Anarcha Speaks'.
  • In 2021 was convicted in a case involving the theft of a house and ordered to pay approximately $117,000 in restitution (reported 2021).