American poet, lyricist, scriptwriter, activist and entrepreneur Kiana Lyles is the author of My Name Ain't Baby poems. She is a Maryland native that began writing poetry at the age of 8 years old after the sudden death of her father she found a peace of mind through poetry. Feeling liberated through her discovery of word play and rhyme, poetry became her diary. "Poetry gave me a voice when I believed my voice was too little to be heard," she says.
Whenever I wrote a poem, short story or lyric I got an opportunity to express myself, and escape reality. I would close my eyes and picture myself somewhere outside the lower- class neighborhood where I was raised, poetry saved me she says, without it I don't know who or where I would be". Today her poems celebrate the beauty of black women and their constant struggle of acceptance for accomplishments rather than their bodies. Yet, playful, bold and unapologetic her poems get at the heart of what plagues many women today.
Kiana Lyles is a womanist that creates content that celebrates women empowerment. She encourages all women to love themselves unapologetically and to be confident within their own skin. Her goal is to empower generations of women to continue to be multidimensional and defy today’s stereotypes of women in entertainment, workplace, politics and education.
