Tiawana Brown, aka “Tia” a Charlotte native, was raised by her phenomenal mother, and she has two adult daughters, Antoinette and Tijema. Tiawana loves her family. She founded her nonprofit, Beauty after the Bars, in 2017. She made history this year winning the 2023 primary election in Charlotte City Council District #3, as first Formerly Incarcerated person to be the Democratic Nominee. She was the Regional Director for Cheri Beasley’s campaign. She's a board member of the National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls. Recognized by Charlotte Pride Magazine 2019 during Women’s History Month. She is a JLUSA (Just Leadership NYC- 2020 Alumni). In 2022, she was awarded Susan Burton’s New Way of Life grant. She attends Johnson C. Smith University, where she maintains a 4.0 GPA. She is a small business owner and a Community Healthcare and Peer Support Specialist certified through the State of North Carolina.

The Formerly Incarcerated Speaker Series is a biweekly program on Alcatraz Island that lifts up and highlights the voices of people who have spent time inside of jails and prisons. The National Park Service believes in parks as platforms for dialogue, and Alcatraz Island, being one of the only NPS sites that interprets mass incarceration, works directly with people who have been affected in order to give them a platform to showcase their stories.

Speaking event starts at 1 PM in the Cellhouse Dining Hall.

For more information on the Formerly Incarcerated Speaker Series,or other community outreach initiatives (including ranger-led programs), please contact park ranger Oliver Goodman (oliver_goodman@nps.gov). If you are a community leader working with the formerly incarcerated community and you would like to bring a group to an upcoming program in the series, please email Oliver. If you have any accessibility needs such as ASL translation, please contact goga_accessibility@nps.gov at least 5 days in advance.

Seating is first come first serve. Your island ticket is sufficient for admission, reservations are not required. Seating may be limited.