Poetry is an echo of what the heart senses. While emotions are difficult to put into words, the art and craft of poetry is Files’ attempt to do justice to the heart by reaching the minds of others.  

Her poetry reveals her trials and triumphs as a woman of color. It explores social and political issues as well as love, sensuality, mental health and the struggle to live life on her terms. Ashanti has Bachelor’s degrees in both Political Science and Nursing. She is a McNair Scholar, 2021 Poet Laureate for the City of Urbana, and a Martha's Vineyard Voices of Color Poet Fellow.

This year Ashanti was named a Poet Laureate Fellow by The Academy of American Poets and an Honorable Mention by Writers Digest in their 91st Annual Writing Competition in the category of Rhyming poetry. Files works as a Registered Nurse has published her poetry and fiction writing in journals including, Scribes of Nyota: Mystics Anthology (2018), Poet’s Choice, the Northern New England Review and their FRONT/LINES: Poetry of Nursing and Pandemic Perspectives.

More recently she published Catalyst Literary Arts Journal: Politics of Health and Wellbeing. In 2019, she published her own collection of poetry, Woven: Perspectives of a Black Woman. She has taught classes and workshops for populations ranging from elementary schoolers to adults at the collegiate level.  

She is the Founder of Writers of Oya, a writer's program for middle school girls of color exploring intersections of poetry, spoken word, mental health, social issues, and resilience.

Connect

@shanyfiles