Beauty after the bars
Beauty after the bars
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  • Meet the Founder
  • Programs
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  • Contact

Econmic Mobiity/Communities/Racial Equity

TIAWANA "Tia" BROWN

Meet The Founder

 

Tiawana Brown, born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, survivor of Mass incarceration, served four years in federal prison collectively for fraud charges. (white collar non-violent crime). The mother of two adult daughters Antoinette and Tijema. At time of her sentencing she was pregnant with her youngest of her only two daughter’s Tijema. Her daughters are her motivation. She was raised in the church and had a phenomenal role model, her mother Artie M. Brown. 

Hard-working, single mother is where Tia learned her work ethics from.

A prison reform/community activist, speaker, writer, she has committed her life and work to empowering women/girls and working to keep our youth out of the judicial system. She is also the founder of Beauty after the Bars(501c3), an advocacy organization committed to changing the world and how society view formerly incarcerated people. She also, oversees the mentoring program, re-entry program in Partnership with Sheriff Garry L. McFadden /Mecklenburg County Detention Center- to ensure once the residents that are released from jail-they never experience recidivism.  Her dress for success program helps with  proper attire for employment opportunities, adopt an resident program to keep the lines of communication flowing between incarcerated people and their family members and productive members of society. 

Tiawana is a proud member & State Leader for North Carolina National Council for incarcerated and  formerly incarcerated women. The ultimate goal for the organization is to end mass incarceration. She is an executive board member of Concerned Citizens for Communities in Action. She has received accolades of awards including Who’s Who in 2018- Community Service Awards, Million Youth March Recipient and National Reform work for returning citizens. Served as Community Advocate Coordinator during the 2012 Democratic Convention. Her notable accomplishments have led to her being asked to serve on boards: NC Department of Public Safety – State Reentry Council Collaborative (SRCC) – Women and incarceration Workgroup and The Leadership Campaign for Mecklenburg County Sheriff candidate Garry L. McFadden. 

Tia has been featured on WBTV News, WOSF Radio Station , Radio One Network, Afropunk.com, Meduim.Com, Francene Marie Show, Participated in Symposiums at NYU School of Law and Columbia University in New York, New York. She worked on Ban the Box Project. Currently she has the Beauty After The Bars Radio show /podcast on  The Real  People of Charlotte-Morality Media Network.  This Platform will allow the voices of all people to be echoed.

She has appeared as key-note for multitudes of churches, schools and community events. Formerly known as federal prisoner #10567-058, she has dedicated her experience in prison as her platform for reform, reentry, and to reduce recidivism. She supports Racial Equity and works to create equal opportunities for  economic growth for all people-known as Economic Mobility. 

After seeing first-hand the injustices women face behind bars and having her youngest daughter in prison, Tiawana D. Brown, decided to join the movement of the National Council for  incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women  and girls. Creating a national platform for formerly incarcerated and incarcerated women  and girls to share their voices and experiences  of incarceration -to work to end incarceration of women and and girls. 

Despite her blemishes with the other side of the law, through her transparency ,grass root work and her activism, she is being the change she wants to see and dedicated to bringing awareness to the systematic injustice, as well as racial inequities.

Beauty After the Bars Founder Booking Request

Tiawana is waiting to inspire and motivate you.  Support you in your community. Parnter with your organization and create the change that is needed, Together we can create Racial Equity, Breakdown systemic racism, and implement Economic Mobility in all communities

To request for speaking engagements or to learn about volunteering, & our mentoring programs-and other services -please click on the request button.

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Tiawana/BATB Working in the Community

Community Engagement with Black Women-Must see Video. Tia answers a request to assist a young lady by the name of Ebony, with clearing her outstanding warrants during COVID-19-Ebony called Tia her hero. Ebony said she wanted to live in peace without the fear of looking over her shoulder's. Tia has dedicated her life to racial equity, economic mobility & keeping women and youth out jail and prison.

Beauty after the Bars-Partnership with Mecklenburg County Jail and Sheriff Garry L. McFadden on incarceration prevention and self-awareness, character education. In this partnership the goal is to prevent women from returning to jail. Reduce recidivism and teach them Self-sufficiency. Ww will work with the ladies to achieve racial equity, and economic mobility. Help with career placement, mental health concerns, substance challenges and domestic violence barriers. Tia being a survivor of domestic violence is committed to the success of all the women that enter into her program.

Community Engagement-Mecklenburg County Detention Center. Women Residents-pictured with the Sheriff Garry L. McFadden inside the detention center at the first Women's Summit hosted -exclusively for the residents. had the honor to participate and was one of the Keynote Speakers, also-Krisite Puckett-Williams of the ACLU.

Remembering the days I spent behind bars in Federal Prison as a young black women. I was only 21 at the time- and pregnant with my second child. Yet, I was sent to prison for fraud-non violent crimes and quickly became a product of recidivism. Without the proper resources and a justice system that failed me..... I returned to prison, it was my second prison term and I was taken away from my two young daughters again.

Tiawana talks about her incarcerations in detail. How she survived two federal prison sentences, and how having her daughter in prison was one of the most difficult things she has ever had to do. She talks about her organization Beauty after the Bars being a voice for the women still incarcerated and why she is determined to keep our youth, girls and women out of jail and  prison. Read the article:  https://medium.com/@nicolerodgers/beauty-after-the-bars-keeping-black-women-out-of-jail-af004e2eb5a0     

Take the Label off of us. We are Humans

The way society view formerly incarcerated people needs to change.  Many are unable to find employment and resources that will assist  with their re-entry into society.  After paying their debt to society shouldn't they be able to work and live without the "ex-convict" stigma?  Beauty After the Bars is on a mission to not only change the stigma, but also provide resources to make it easier to re-enter into society.

http://afropunk.com/2017/04/black-woman-launches-amazing-project-supporting-other-imprisoned-and-formerly-incarcerated-black-women/

Tiawana's Family: then & Now-Family Support while in Prison

Tiawana and daughter Antionette.

Tiawana with family in Alderson West Virignia Federal Prison Camp.  She was 6 months pregnant with Tjema and holding her daughter Antoinette.

Tiawana's Family (Left-Right) daughter Antoinette, Mom, Sister Chunta, Tiawana, daughter Tjema.

Tiawana's daughters Antoinette & Tjema after visiting her in federal prison.

Tiawana's daughter Tjema photo of her in grade school. (her mother gave birth to her while in federal prison)

Tiawana's daughter Antionette photo of her in grade school. (she was only 2 years old when her mother was sentenced to her federal prison for Fraud)

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Created By: Dare2Dream Inc/BATB