Alana the Artist

Alana Belle is a Clevelander through and through. She was born and raised in the Glenville neighborhood, received her elementary school education from Newton D. Baker School of Arts in Kamm’s Corner, and graduated high school from Cleveland School of the Arts in University Circle. Growing up, Alana and her sisters would ride bikes around their block, walk to corner stores that are now closed for after school snacks, make friends with many kids who also grew up off 105, and learn how to survive St. Clair together. Thanks to her parents and supporting village, Alana was exposed to the arts at an early age and took music and dance classes at the Rainy Institute in Hough to deepen the creative interests she found at school. One of her first jobs was as a Peer Mentor for Playhouse Square’s SlamU! Program, an opportunity that led to years of facilitating arts education for youth poets throughout the city. Through working with some of Cleveland’s most talented youth from all backgrounds, Alana committed to artistic growth and service at an early age.

Alana the activist

During Alana’s time at Cleveland State University, she joined multiple Student Organizations that strengthened her commitment to community and leadership skills. Alana joined Young People’s Initiative which hosted community service events addressing homelessness and food insecurity and the Black Student Association which worked to improve the experiences of Black students on campus. 

It was in conversations with her peers, reflecting on the ever-growing exposure of anti-Black police violence and the impact of economic inequality, that her perception of local & global social justice issues started shifting. She began to attend rallies and protests, read books and articles, and build relationships with neighbors near & far. Alana believes direct action can work in tandem with legislation and resource distribution to create the communities we deserve.

Alana the Organizer

Alana learned the ins & outs of grassroots organizing through relationships she built with more experienced organizers and quickly found community in advocacy; because all of our freedoms are connected, the community is abundant. Police brutality is connected to racial justice which is connected to economic justice which is connected to reproductive justice…and so on. Alana’s 10 plus years of professional organizing experience includes connecting neighbors to help meet their needs as the Glenville Fellow for a neighbor-centered organization, hosting educational and social events for Black women and girls as the Community Organizer for an unapologetically Black-led org, and helping guide voters to a victorious “Yes” on Ohio’s Reproductive Freedom Amendment in her role as Director of Constituency Organizing and as a special projects consultant.