Aria Brooks alias ARIA is a young creative to be on the look out for. When she’s not starring in Nickelodeon’s revival of the hit 90s sitcom, All That, she’s mixing her artistry and activism to inspire others to continue difficult, yet important conversations. ARIA’s latest single, Am I Next? and its music video are powerfully influenced by the Black Lives Matter defining the Summer of 2020 and beyond. Jejune talks to ARIA about her artistic endeavors, how they’ve looked during COVID-19, and how she is encouraging BIPOC and white youth alike to take a stand for social justice.

Where are you based?
Due to COVID, I am currently in Atlanta, Georgia.

You’ve been working in the entertainment industry since a very young age as an actress and singer. How did your passion for music and acting evolve as you grew up?
Growing up, I have always been surrounded by performing arts because my parents are music educators. When I was much younger, I just wanted to perform for fun in local productions and things like that. The older I got, the more serious I became about it. I realized when I was ten years old that I wanted to make this my career.

What do you wish to achieve through your platform?
I wish to inspire people. I want to be someone people can relate to. People should know that you don’t have to change who you are and what you do to be successful. I especially would like to uplift people of color and women. The only thing that has an effect on how far you go is your talent and determination, not your gender, race, etc.

You’re currently starring in Nickelodeon’s revival of 90s hit comedy All That. How did you come about joining the cast?
My agent sent me the audition for the show. I had to create a few sketch characters and memorize the lines they gave me. I filmed it at home and submitted it to the casting directors. Then I had to fly out to California for a callback with the producers of "All That." About a week later, I had to fly out again for a screen test (the final audition). This time, I auditioned for the producers and Nickelodeon executives. After my audition, they called me back into the room. The president of Nickelodeon told me I got the job and the rest is history.

How has your experience been on the show so far? What’s been your most memorable moment on set?
I have enjoyed my time on the show so far. It has been fun getting to meet new people and make friends. It is difficult to pick one memorable moment from the set. I always enjoyed it when the cast and I would get dinner after live shows. We always had a ton of fun.

How COVID-19 impacted your work on All That? Currently, how does teamwork during the filming process look like?
COVID-19 temporarily shut down the production of “All That.” We were not prepared to be gone this long, but luckily we filmed most of the season before we shut down. We are still currently shut down, but we are doing things remotely for social media until production begins again.

Before joining All That, you were in the critically acclaimed Harriet as Harriet Tubman’s (Cynthia Erivo) niece, Anger. Could you talk about what drew you to take on this role?
When I got the audition, I was pretty excited. I am very passionate about Black history, and I was beyond excited to have that opportunity. It seemed like an amazing project to be a part of, and I was proven right.

Could you describe your experience being part of this film? What did you learn from it?
My experience was wonderful on the set of Harriet. I enjoyed meeting the rest of the cast. We filmed on an actual plantation. I saw a real cotton field, which was something that I will never forget. It made me realize the amount of work that my ancestors had to do. I learned the true story of Harriet Tubman from being in this film. I was able to get a much better understanding of how strong and amazing she was.

Jejune is blown away by your new music video and song “Am I Next?”, a song that deals with the fear Black Americans, especially Black youth, face and calls for stronger social justice activism. What was going through your head when creating this song? Could you describe the artistic as well as the symbolic process?
When I wrote ‘Am I Next?’, I was experiencing a whole bunch of emotions. I was mainly scared and sad about everything that was happening to Black people and how we are being faced with brutality because of the color of our skin. I wrote the song from that place of fear and sadness. Later when mapping out the music video, I began to feel angrier about what was happening. I began speaking up about it even more, and I used ‘Am I Next?’ to do that as well.

The song’s music video includes striking images of different social justice protests, among them the BLM protests that occurred during the Summer and are continuing to take place. How did you and your team come up with this idea for the music video? What do you think these images will accomplish in terms of raising awareness?
I wanted to keep the music video simple but still very powerful. I always think ahead to visuals whenever I create songs. In my head, I saw a color scheme with black, white, and red. I wanted to have actual protest shots and clips from the news. I felt it would sell this message even more. The ideas evolved the more I talked with my team about them. Neighborhood Rejects did a great job of bringing my vision to life.

Were you able to get out and protest? If so, what was that experience like for you?
I have not been able to get out and protest, although I wanted to. I have been speaking out on social media in place of that. I also work hard to educate others who may not be able to protest and give them other ways to help the cause.

What piece of advice would you give to non-Black BIPOC and white activists that want to become more efficient, understanding allies?
The biggest advice I could give is to educate yourself. Don’t feel like you have to speak up about something right away if you know nothing about it. Enlighten yourself, so you are giving the right information. I would also say never feel like you can’t speak up because you aren’t Black. The Black Lives Matter movement affects everyone, not just black people. Show your sympathy by continuing to support and speak out.

Gen-Z is perhaps the most politically vocal, activist age group in the US, spearheading meaningful conversations on race, gender, and class, to name a few. What are you most hopeful about your generation?
I am most hopeful that we can make a lasting impact. It feels as though issues from the past are never really solved. They are simply passed down for the next generation to maneuver. I feel that we are strong enough to improve some of these issues and make them better overall. I hope that our impact is permanent and we can make history.

For your birthday this year you took on the 14 Day Birthday challenge. Could you describe how you came up with this idea for these daily posts? How did you choose who to promote?
Fourteen days leading up to my birthday, I researched the significance of each of those days. Luckily, I found a day that related to my passions like social justice, LGBTQ+ rights, women’s rights, etc. This is why a lot of the posts were similar to things I already post about because they were my passions. For my birthday, all I truly wanted was a change (and for people to stream my single ‘Am I Next?’). I came up with challenges that related to those days that I did and encouraged my followers to do as well.

What are you looking forward to in 2021?
I am looking forward to the release of my debut album. It has been a goal of mine for a long time now. I am finally committing to it and taking action. I also look forward to working on my screenwriting. I want to get better with my formatting and getting my ideas on paper. I want to get some of those ideas pitched or produced.

How have you been staying positive during shelter in place?
I have been writing a lot. I’ve written a lot of songs and scripts at this time. It is my way of releasing any anger, fear, sadness, etc. Once I get it out, it is much easier for me to stay positive. I have also been adamant about keeping in touch with my family and friends. Since I cannot see them much anymore, I call and text them pretty frequently.

What’s your motto in life?
If I have enough courage to make a decision about who I am, I should have enough courage to be who I am.

To learn more about ARIA, please follow her via the following platforms:
Instagram: @itsariabrooks
TikTok: @itsariabrooks
Twitter: @itsariabrooks
YouTube: ARIA

ARIA Won't Let The Conversation Die!