Ariana Curtis

Activist, Brainstormer, Change Agent, Educator/Teacher, Explorer, Idea generator, Potential employer, Public servant, Writer/Editor

An African American educator and a Black Panamanian computer scientist raised Dr. Ariana Curtis, the youngest of four kids, in a Black affirming household. Government forms and ill-informed publics have wanted her to be either African American or Latina, but Ariana has always advocated for full and accurate representation of self overall. The yearning to see lives represented whole led her to study the complex overlap of Blackness, identity, gender, Diaspora, and belonging. She has lived in Cuba, Panama, and Washington, D.C. After earning a BA at Duke University and doctorate in anthropology with a concentration in race, gender, and social justice from American University, this Fulbright scholar joined the curatorial staff of the Smithsonian Institution. She currently serves as the first curator for Latinx Studies at the National Museum of African American History and Culture. In addition to her curatorial work, she has helped launch major Smithsonian initiatives including Our Shared Future: Reckoning with Our Racial Past and the American Women's History Initiative. Ariana has published in a number of academic and popular outlets and has been featured on NPR, LatinoUSA, The Root, and other national media. She was featured in the 2020 exhibition Voices of Resilience at the Springfield Museums in her hometown of Springfield, Massachusetts. She is a founding member of the Black Latinas Know Collective, and board member of Duke University Libraries, DC Diaspora Arts Council, The Museum Association of the Caribbean, and the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures.

Social justice, global Black histories, authentic self expression, Duke blue devils, hoop earrings

Incorporating women and non white people into public histories requires more than highlighting the firsts and the famous.

Highlighting random background vocals, DIY home improvement