We had the good fortune of connecting with Arianna Jones and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Arianna, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I grew up in a very small rural town called Esmont, Virginia, about 45 minutes outside of Charlottesville, Virginia, with my mother and my grandparents after my parents separated. Because our town was so small, we had a very strong, unified community in the area. We all attended the same church, went to the same events, shopped at the same stores; everyone knew one another and saw each other frequently. It was almost as if everyone in town was family. My grandmother would often babysit many of the children in the area so her tiny, cozy trailer would always be very lively, full of people and children from the neighborhood during the day. I would say that I am very extroverted. I love meeting and getting to know different people. I am definitely a people-person. Spending time with family in addition to building and maintaining meaningful connections and friendships is something that has always been very important to me. I believe you can learn so much just from getting to know someone from a different place or background and listening to their stories. Unfortunately, though, growing up in the south wasn’t always a pleasant experience. When I was in high school I witnessed the Unite the Right rally that took place in Charlottesville. Seeing so many Klansmen and neo-Nazis march through the town in 2017 not only hurt me, but it also served as somewhat of a wake-up call. America as a whole has come a long way but there is still so much to be done even now in 2022. That experience is one of many that inspired me to become an activist. I recently joined the NAACP after graduating college and I also dedicate a lot of my artistic work to advocating for equality and inclusion for marginalized, underrepresented groups and creating space to celebrate minority cultures.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have a strong passion for art in all of its various forms. I am an actress, a dancer, a screenwriter and poet, and I also create visual art. Most of my experience, however, is in acting. In all of my artistic work, be it choreography, a written piece, visual art, or a role that I am playing, my main goal is to become a storyteller, effectively sharing the story within each piece. I enjoy using my art to uplift and celebrate my culture and heritage while making room for other minority groups to do the same. There is power in diversity and equal representation. Being an African American woman who came from a poor family in the south, like many other African American children, it was sometimes hard for me to envision myself achieving my many big dreams. I did not see many other black girls on television or in the entertainment industry and when I did they all seemed to play similar roles. The stories they told and the characters they portrayed were not always dynamic. Despite this I found the courage to believe in myself and work towards my many goals. As the entertainment industry continually grows and evolves, I strive to be one of the artists who work to break down any tradition norms which may hender the idea of equal and accurate representation. Everyone has a story and no one story is more compelling, more relevant, or more valuable than another. I want to honor and share the stories of those who are not often given the space or opportunity to share their stories. I take pride in encouraging people to embrace who they are and where they come from regardless of whether their experiences are deemed to be traditional or untraditional. Ultimately, I want everyone to feel comfortable in their own skin and to understand that everybody’s lives, experiences, and stories are equally valuable and worthy of acknowledgement.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love keeping up with new movies so I would definitely plan to go to the theater. The most recent movie I saw was The Woman King which was beautifully written and shot! Viola Davis has always been one of my favorite performers. And a movie I’m looking forward to seeing soon is Till, the story of Emmett Till and his mother, Mamie Till-Mobley, starring Danielle Deadwyler and Jalyn Hall. If we were in Atlanta specifically I would like to eat lunch at Piedmont Park and enjoy the view of the city, go shopping in the city, and visit the National Center for Civil and Human Rights. One restaurant I would love to try is Poor Calvin’s because I love Thai and Asian cuisine!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I owe a lot to my mother, Kristie Feggans, my aunt, Racheal Feggans, and my grandmother Joyce Feggans, who recently passed away. These three women have played such a significant role in, not only my artistic journey, but in my life as a whole inspiring, teaching, and guiding me. There are many teachers, friends, and other people I would want to thank for their positive impact on my journey but I could not have accomplished so much without the love and support I received from those three.

Website: www.AriannaJones.com

Instagram: instagram.com/ok.ari

Other: https://IMDb.me/ariannajones

Image Credits
-Still shots from For My Man (TV Series): Thomas Nguyen (cinematographer) -Still shots from RoadKill (Movie): Joshua Lanier -Behind the scenes shots from Blood Money (TV Series): John Reese

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