ARIANA JOHNSON
A CHAMPION FOR BLACK MATERNAL HEALTH AND COMMUNITY ADVOCACY
Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Ariana Johnson has always been deeply connected to her community. A graduate of the Cleveland School of the Arts, where she majored in Theater, Ariana continued her academic journey at Cleveland State University, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Communications. She is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Social Services Administration at Case Western Reserve University while holding certifications in Mental Health First Aid, Non-Profit Marketing, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.
Currently, Ariana serves as the Communications Manager at The Famicos Foundation, a role that allows her to use her expertise to amplify community initiatives and uplift marginalized voices. She also holds the prestigious titles of Ms. Black Ohio USA 2025-2026 and Ms. Ohio American Beauties Plus 2025-2026, using these platforms to advocate for critical issues in public health and social justice.
Beyond academia, Ariana has engaged in various leadership and policy programs, shaping her into a formidable advocate for change. She has been a Public Policy Fellow with the Children’s Defense Fund, a Stokes Public Policy Fellow with the Cleveland Leadership Institute, and a participant in The Neighborhood Leadership Development Program under the mentorship of former Cleveland Mayor Michael R. White. Additionally, she was a Public Policy Fellow with Black Women Organized for Political Action, based in Oakland, California.
Ariana’s civic and political engagement runs deep. She made history as the first female president of the Northeast Ohio Young Black Democrats and has held leadership roles such as Great Lakes Regional Coordinator for the Black Caucus of the Young Democrats of America and Communications Director for the Cuyahoga County Young Democrats. She also served as an organizing Fellow with Organizing for America and currently sits on the Executive Committee for the Cuyahoga County Democratic Party.
Her passion for advocacy is rooted in her upbringing. Inspired by her father’s teachings on historical figures like Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and her mother’s dedication to community service, Ariana developed a strong sense of duty to give back. She credits her grandmothers, Dorothy and Henrietta, her mother Charlene, and trailblazing women like Coretta Scott King, Dr. Betty Shabazz, and Bethann Hardison as key influences in her activism, advocacy, and interest in fashion.
Ariana is an active member of the Missionary Ministry at Greater Faith Missionary Baptist Church, the Black Women Political Action Committee, and the Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Her dedication to service is evident in her work as an ambassador for PADS (Pride Among Daughters and Sisters), a nonprofit that provides feminine hygiene products to women in need throughout Northeast Ohio.
Her pageantry platform centers on Black Maternal Health, a cause she is fiercely committed to. As a graduate student in social work, she has researched strategies to improve maternal health outcomes for Black women, emphasizing better housing, increased access to transportation, telehealth services, and doula and midwife care. Ariana advocates for hospitals to provide more comprehensive maternal care, citing CDC data that shows Black women’s survival rates after childbirth increase by 40% when they have access to doula and midwife support.
Ariana aspires to become a Licensed Social Worker, specializing in mental health interventions for children and families in hospital settings. Her ultimate goal is to be a leading mental health practitioner and health advocate for families across Northeast Ohio.
In her free time, Ariana enjoys exploring the Cleveland Museum of Art, visiting galleries, shopping, indulging in self-care with manicures and pedicures, and spending quality time with her family and friends. Her journey is a testament to the power of passion, resilience, and the unwavering commitment to making a difference in her community.
QSM: You wear so many hats—advocate, student, pageant titleholder, and community leader. What drives you to stay so deeply involved in so many areas?
Ariana: The drive that motivates me to remain active in advocacy, pageantry and continuing to pursue my education stems from my upbringing. I grew up in the South Collinwood neighborhood in Cleveland with my parents who have been married for 35 years. In my home I was taught the values of Christian Faith, Education and community service. I was introduced to leaders like Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Medgar Evers, Mrs. Corretta Scott-King, Dr. Betty Shabazz and Fannie Lou Hamer and how they used knowledge and education as tools to advocate and help people in our communities against systemic racism.
Even when I became involved in the performing arts which lead me into pageantry, I learned how artists like: Josephine Baker, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandrige, Ruby Dee, Ossie Davis and Harry Belafonte used their influence and artistry to bring awareness to systemic racism and fought against it.
QSM: Your platform focuses on Black Maternal Health, an issue that disproportionately affects Black women. What inspired you to champion this cause, and what are some of the most pressing changes you believe need to happen?
Ariana: Unfortunately, there was a young lady who I was neighbors with, you gave birth to her baby and hemorrhaged a lot post-natal, this happened right before I began my undergraduate studies and during my graduate studies as a social work student, I spent the bulk of graduate research learning more about Black Maternal Health.
The pressing changes I believe needs to be implemented in order to improve Black Maternal Health are more policies both on the federal and state level that support Black Maternal Health, Specifically, providing more sources to improve the social determinants of health, improving housing, providing transportation to mothers to and from doctors’ appointments, providing more access to telehealth care, providing more access to healthier food options such as more healthy food Co-Ops and neighborhood grocery stores, providing more access to transportation and telehealth care to mothers who live in rural areas and lastly, providing more access to doula and midwifery care to black women during pre and post-natal care because studies show that Black women survival rate is 40% higher in the labor and delivery room with a doula and a midwife. Doula and Midwives are constant advocates for their patients, they are highly educated in the reproductive system, so they know how to make sure that their patient navigates through a healthy pregnancy.
QSM: You’ve been a Public Policy Fellow with multiple organizations and have held leadership positions in political groups. How have these experiences shaped your approach to advocacy and community work?
Ariana: Having leadership roles in political organizations and being a public policy fellow for The Children’s Defense Fund and the Black Women Organized for Political Action has incentivized me to learn about policies, social movements and systemic issues and structures that impact our world on the daily basis. I believe that one can’t lead, if they do not know what is going on around them.
QSM: You credit your family—especially your grandmothers and parents—for instilling in you a strong sense of duty. Can you share a lesson from them that continues to guide your work today?
Ariana: I grew up watching my parents being involved in our community, My dad participated in the Million Man March in 1995, My mom was the secretary of our neighborhood street club, both of my grandmothers were church mothers and my maternal grandma, Henrietta volunteered for the Huron Hospital every friday in the neighborhood of East Cleveland. So, although my parents and grandmothers never gave me a verbal lesson on the importance of serving the community, I developed a sense of duty through watching them and all their community activism.
QSM: Your pageant titles provide you with a unique platform for advocacy. How do you blend pageantry with activism, and what impact do you hope to make through these roles?
Ariana: I use my titles to bring awareness organizations that are doing similar advocacy work for example, with my title as Ms. Black Ohio USA 2025-2026, I am the ambassador for PADS ( Pride Among Daughters and Sisters) which is a non-profit organization that provides feminine projects for women and young ladies, Also, I am an ambassador for Cameroon Youths and Students Forum for Peace (CAMYOSFOP) WASH initiative, both organizations really matter to me because being a woman, I know how it is important for young ladies and women to have ongoing access to clean feminine products for various reasons, In Cameroon and in various parts of Africa, many young ladies have to drop out of school when they become pre-teens and adolescents because their lack of access to feminine products and the fear of unexpectant pregnancies due to assault, for a young lady to have access to resources such as clean water and feminine hygiene products gives women and young ladies the boost of confidence we need to accomplish our goals during a very vulnerable that we all have to navigate through on the monthly basis.
The impact that I would like to have is to bring awareness to PADS AND CAMYOSFOP so that people, advocates and influencers can know what we are doing and hopefully, they would want to be involved in all of our efforts.
QSM: You have a background in communications and currently serve as Communications Manager at The Famicos Foundation. How do you use storytelling and media to uplift marginalized voices and promote social change?
Ariana: As the Communications Manager for The Famicos Foundation which is a community development corporation that provides social services to the communities of Glenville, St. Clair, and Hough in Cleveland, Ohio. I intentionally use images of people of color specifically black and brown people with our marketing efforts like our fliers to promote programs that help people have healthier lives through our housing, parenting and small business development programs. My director Mrs. Ebony Webster our very intentional with showing all of the positive programming that makes our neighborhoods great.
QSM: In addition to your policy work, you’re also pursuing a career in social work, focusing on mental health interventions for children and families. How do you see your work in social services connected with your advocacy for Black maternal health?
Ariana: I see my work as a future social worker, specifically engaging and providing services and resources to mothers and expecting Black mothers so that they can be connected to doulas, midwives, access to healthy food options, access to uberhealth rides to get to and from doctor’s appointments, access to telehealth care and other needs that a mother has during her pre and post-natal care.
QSM: With everything you do, how do you find time for self-care, and what are some of your favorite ways to recharge and stay grounded?
Ariana: I enjoy exercising, specifically riding my spin bike in my basement, spending time with my family and my church family, going to the Cleveland Museum of Art, listening to 90’s R&B and watching my favorite shows on Netflix. I am so happy that “Survival of the Thickest: came back for season 2, I am already on the third episode!.
Photographer | Mr. David Ford @ford_stu
Hairstylist | Ms. Kinyetta Ford @kinyetta_thestylist
Wardrobe | Ms. Kathy Mayfield @KatsKloset2021
Makeup Artist | Ms. Keisha Kane Holmes @mua_keishakane25
