WLRN Public Media | By Alyssa Ramos

The personal and the political meld together for Aja Monet, whose work as a poet and activist brought her national recognition — and eventually brought her to Florida.

Originally from New York, the surrealist blues poet and musician of Caribbean descent moved to South Florida in 2015 where she worked closely with youth-led social movements, including the Dream Defenders and the Community Justice Project. She also co-founded Smoke Signals Studio in Miami, an arts collective dedicated to music, art and community organizing.

”It was a beautiful time. I learned a lot and I think it was integral to a lot of my current ideas and perspective on poetry and organizing,” she said.

This story was originally produced by WLRN, South Florida’s only public radio station at 91.3 FM, as part of a content sharing partnership with MIA Media Group. Read more at WLRN.org