Adiba Nelson is the author of "Ain't That A Mother," the memoir that Essence, Bustle, Ms. Magazine and Shondaland all hailed as a "must read," and the subject of the Emmy-winning documentary, "The Full Nelson." She is also a retired burlesque performer, disability rights advocate/activist, freelance journalist and very tired mom!
In 2013, she wrote and self-published her first children's book, "Meet ClaraBelle Blue" after not being able to find a children's book that adequately and appropriately represented her daughter (disabled, Black). Since then Nelson has led numerous workshops and given keynote addresses around the country for parents, educators and education professionals/paraprofessionals, focusing on DEIA from a disability perspective.
In 2017, Nelson delivered her first TEDx talk (Skating Downhil: The Art of Claiming Your Life) to a sold-out crowd, and has since joined the NPR-affiliate Arizona Public Media as a regular contributor on Arizona Spotlight, spoken at the Smithsonin Institute National Museum of Afrian American History and Culture, and led a memoir master class in sunny San Juan, Puerto Rico, at the request of the poet dubbed the "Maya Angelou of the Millennial Generation," Azure Antoinette.
Awards: Royal Dragonfly Award - Children's Book:Speial Needs
Communities: Arizona Author, Tucsonan, LGBTQ+, African American, Hispanic or Latinx, Person with a Disability, Parent of a child with a disabiity