معرفی
Faylita Hicks (she/they) is a queer nonbinary femme Afro-Latinx activist, writer, and interdisciplinary artist currently serving as Visiting Faculty. They are Editor-in-Chief of the quarterly digital anthology Black Femme Collective and former Editor-in-Chief of Borderlands: Texas Poetry Review, leveraging direct experience with pre-trial detention to advocate for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities impacted by poverty-based incarceration and racially charged policing.
Hicks' educational background includes:
- MFA in Creative Writing from Sierra Nevada University
- B.A. in English from Texas State University-San Marcos
Central to Hicks' practice is the intersection of social justice and spirituality, where creative expression becomes a catalyst for systemic change. Their work critically examines carceral systems, racial injustice, and queer identity through poetry and interdisciplinary art, drawing from personal incarceration experience to envision liberatory futures free from police violence and cash bail systems.
Hicks' publications form a cohesive artistic-political project exploring BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ experiences through poetic innovation. From the Lambda Literary Award-finalist 'HoodWitch' to the forthcoming 'A Map of My Want', their work consistently blends personal narrative with political critique, using documentary poetry and spoken word to challenge oppressive structures and imagine community-based safety alternatives.
Hicks' accolades include:
- 2020 Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Poetry (Finalist)
- 2019 Balcones Poetry Prize (Finalist)
- 2019 Julie Suk Award (Finalist)
- Palette Poetry’s 2020 Sappho Prize (Winner)
- Texas Touring Artist designation (2020-2022)
- Fellowships from Broadway Advocacy Coalition, Civil Rights Corps, and Right of Return USA
Supported by Civil Rights Corps and Broadway Advocacy Coalition fellowships, Hicks developed the documentary poem 'Bar for Bar: After Party' envisioning police-free communities. Their advocacy with Mano Amiga secured San Marcos' groundbreaking 'Cite and Release' Ordinance—the first in Texas to limit police discretion and reduce escalation in nonviolent incidents.
Hicks actively shapes policy through the Statewide Leadership Council (Texas Criminal Justice Coalition) and Detention Watch Network, focusing on rural pretrial incarceration and immigrant detention reform. Their artistic practice intersects with community organizing to build movements for transformative justice, as featured in PBS's '45 Days' and Brave New Films' 'Racially Charged'.
