Jiana Marita is a Black woman who writes YA romance fiction/non-fiction pieces centered around Black lives, while bringing visibility to those in marginalized communities. She keeps her inner child alive through photography, sculpture, and painting. Jiana studies at Ringling College of Art and Design for her BFA in Creative Writing.
Quickly and carefully, I crossed the street with my best friend at the time. Her name was Jalia, a tall and skinny girl I’d skip class with to play Nintendo between the tiled bathroom walls. Jalia was an older sister I never