Episode #221: Reclaiming Your Heart and Words with Aja Monet

Dr. Thema and phenomenal poet Aja Monet explore the poetry of coming home to yourself. They discuss growth, shifts, and breakthroughs within one’s self and within relationships. aja monet is a Grammy-nominated Surrealist Blues Poet and cultural worker whose artistry transcends boundaries. As the recipient of the Nuyorican Grand Slam Poetry title, aja monet first made her mark in New York’s Lower East Side, honing her voice and craft on the storied stages of a burgeoning poetry movement. She follows in the long legacy and tradition of poets participating and assembling in social movements. Her collaborative spirit has seen her shape and shift culture alongside internationally renowned artists, scholars, activists, and organizers. aja's first full collection of poems, my mother was a freedom fighter, is a powerful tribute to mothers, women, and girls striving for freedom, earning a nomination for a NAACP Image Award for Poetry in 2018. Her debut poetry album, when the poems do what they do , was nominated for a Grammy Best Spoken Word Poetry Album in 2024. The album explores themes of resistance, love, and the inexhaustible quest for joy. Awarded the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Award for Poetry (2019), the Nelson Mandela Changemaker Award (2024), The Harry Belafonte Voices for Social Justice Award (2024), the EBONY 100 Artist In Residence Award, and the Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Vanguard Award (2025), aja also serves as the Artistic Creative Director for V-Day, a global movement to end violence against women and girls. In 2022, she created "VOICES," an audio play amplifying the stories of Black women across the diaspora and the African continent. aja monet released her latest book of poems, florida water, with Haymarket Books on June 3rd, 2025 and is currently working on her second studio album. Don't forget to like, comment, share, and subscribe.