We were lucky to catch up with Kiara Barnes recently and have shared our conversation below.

Kiara, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

When I was in middle school, one of my favorite teachers Mr. Okeke showed us a documentary that involved bullying and the effects of it. At the end of the film, he asked us what we thought and all my classmates spoke on how sad and concerned they were for the child who was being bullied. However, when it was my turn I spoke on how upset I felt for both the bully and his victim. I’d expressed that hurt people often hurt people, and it’s a lot easier to be angry than sad and disappointed. My teacher was shocked and sort of proud by my response because what 13 year old thinks like that? From that moment, I realized I not only thought differently than my peers but that I had a way with words that could enlighten others. Fast forward to me starting at Morgan State University to get my bachelors in Strategic Communication. My media class required us to start a YouTube channel which was all new to me. I started a weekly series called, “Know Your Worth Wednesdays” which quickly captivated a small audience. The series involved five minute videos serving as a gentle reminder that you can’t help others if you aren’t well enough to do so. You have to know your worth, and then add tax. Surprisingly, it ended up being the catalyst for my now segment on WMEG Radio called Brace Yourself. Addressing the Elephant in the room!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

As they say, it’s not what you know but who you know. God blessed me with the opportunity to be an intern for the now radio station I have a show on in 2019. I met with DJ RocNyce (the Owner) in 2018 through a family friend and expressed my interest in getting into the Radio industry. He happily obliged and allowed me to intern doing various things like running the social media pages, creating flyers for events, etc.. I quickly learned the ins & outs of what it meant to host a show and engage a live audience. So much so, that I asked him one day what are the odds that I could host my own show and his response was one I’d never forget – “I was just waiting on you to ask”. Talk about divine timing. What sets me apart from other shows/podcasts is my authenticity and relatability. The purpose of Brace Yourself is to boldly confront the deeply rooted and frequently suppressed issues affecting the Black community each day. Generational trauma, environmental racism, debunking what it means to be a “strong black woman”, and much more. I want my audience to understand that we as a community are failing but we don’t have to be. Our lack of unity and respect for one another has been cultivated by society for generations and is intentional. If we want better, we must be better people and that is what Brace Yourself is in a nutshell. What I am most proud of is the guests I’ve been able to have on the show and the unsettling topics that have been discussed with tender love and care.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn is that hard work doesn’t guarantee success. America has bombarded us citizens with this deluded idea that the harder you work the more likely you are to achieve the “American Dream”. However, I’ve seen several people in my lifetime work extremely hard and still struggle their entire lives. Not because they lacked morals or education, but because they simply weren’t in the right place at the right time. Like I said earlier, it’s not what you know but who you know. Growing up, I truly believed in the cycle of success- school, more school, great job, then marry with children. It seemed simple enough, until I realized it cost to breathe in the US. Taxed left and right for every little thing, you have to make 3x the rent to even be considered for approval, and don’t get me started on health insurance. I soon realized the American dream is an illusion that many won’t ever detect as such. The harder you work, the harder your body does too. It’s no coincidence that our grandparents all share similar health concerns in a specific age range. The working system is designed to work you until you can’t work anymore and then bleed your savings on appt’s and prescriptions to keep you feeling alive and well. The key is working smarter and not harder so you can actually enjoy the fruits of your labor.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is the ability to connect with so many people. Meeting new people that may come on the show as a guest, or even having a known friend/family member come on and share views I never knew they had. It’s such a beautiful platform for expression and self awareness, I truly am overflowed with joy from what it has became for myself and others over the years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rocmeg1.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO7DN_LCWhMWlE2qVJImDkDBAPBbMVL8ZUbFeM0/?igsh=OTUxYm43bmg1OTgw
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1HfjW9Rf7J/?mibextid=wwXIfr