Yexandra Diaz is Chicago-bred, New Haven-raised, and deeply rooted in community. I first became aware of Yex through her spoken word poetry, but the more I learned, the more I realized that calling her just a poet doesn’t come close to capturing who she is.
Doula, activist, poet, creative, caretaker, grandmother, and community leader — Yex has lived and served through many roles, each one connected by purpose, compassion, and truth.
In this episode, we sit down with Yex to discuss what it truly means to be a doula, her journey as a creative and caretaker, her evolution through spoken word and poetry, and the experience of recently taking home a major competition title with her team.
We also discuss her powerful TEDx talk, “Death Decolonized: How Black and Brown Communities Face Loss,” and explore deeper conversations around grief, death, legacy, becoming a grandmother, and the responsibility that comes with showing up for others.This is a conversation about art, service, womanhood, community, healing, and the many ways one person can become a pillar for those around them.

IG: @yass_yex
Yex - Man vs Bear
Check out her Spoken-word expression titled "Man vs Bear"
Death Decolonized: How Black and Brown Communities Face Loss | Yexandra Diaz | TEDxNewHaven
Check out her recent TedX talk
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