Mariah Johnson

Grace

MARIAH JOHNSON (Mariah J)
Grace, 2021
Spoken word, song, and dance

 
Mariah-Johnson.jpg

Artist Statement

Grace, a neo-speak track combining spoken word, dance, and singing, embodies the feelings, emotions, and experiences that came up for me after witnessing my brother’s struggle before being sentenced to six years in prison.

After spending four years overseas in the Iraqi war, life became very difficult for him due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Unfortunately, PTSD led him to harm himself and others. This experience showed me that instead of being locked away in a cage far from home, my brother needed care that is holistic, compassionate, kind and filled with grace, the unmerited favor God bestows on all of us each day. This track calls on the name and essence of grace and love, both of which are absent from the government. We should be leading with our hearts, but instead the criminal justice system and those operating it lead from a place of soul loss, with less focus on humanity and more on profit. If the criminal justice system looked at humans who have caused harm as wounded children, then we could collectively move from a space of dehumanizing punishment into a place of healing, higher consciousness, and greater spiritual growth. I added a childhood photograph of my brother reading to me when I was a baby, as a reminder to me, him, and the world of who we truly are.


Biography

Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Mariah Johnson (Mariah J) spent her adolescent years deeply rooted in church, dance, and youth choir. She later attended Stivers School for the Arts, where her focus was heavily centered on dance and creative writing; however, her love for singing never diminished. While working toward her her B.S. in Organizational Leadership with a focus in Youth & Community Engagement at Wright State University, she performed with In His Presence Gospel Choir — traveling all across the state and sharing the stage with gospel artists such as Amante Lacey, Isaiah Templeton, Jonathan McReynolds, Tonya Baker, and Timothy Reddick .

Today, Mariah J is an artist disrupter, cultural strategist, dancer, singer/songwriter, poet, music producer and spiritual herbalist. Mariah released her debut EP, When You Call On Freedom's Name, in 2019. Mariah helps to cultivate peace, culture, and love by organizing artists and activists in collaborative projects. She has a deep, passionate love for Afro-Indigenous culture and history, and consistently uses her platform to address issues affecting our society, especially those concerning Black, Indigenous, and other women of color. Follow her on Instagram @iam_mariahj.

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