Anya Owens-Brown

Introduction and Welcome

Taryell Simmons: Welcome back to Rise Urban Nation where we unite, uplift, and ignite stories shaping our communities and our future. Today's conversation lives at the intersection of motherhood, grief, courage, and movement building. It starts with a mother watching the world change and realizing that while she saw brilliance, innocence, and joy in her sons, the world might see something very different. Our guest today is Anya, founder of Our Kings.

Anya B: Thank you. I appreciate you having me.

Taryell Simmons: Anya, founder of Our Kings, a nonprofit and community movement dedicated to nurturing, protecting, and empowering Black boys and supporting the families raising them. What began as a small meetup born out of fear and love has grown into a powerful ecosystem of mentorship, education, cultural enrichment, and belonging. Anya, welcome to Rise Urban Nation.

Anya B: Thank you. It is all good. I appreciate you having me.

Taryell Simmons: First and foremost, show them the hoodie. That is a dope hoodie right there. Where can I get me the Our Kings hoodie?

Anya B: These are the ones our boys wear. It says, I am the mission. And then the parents wear, I believe in the mission. This is a new one that we have.

Taryell Simmons: When I saw you and the boys at the MLK parade, they were on point. You all were out there looking good.

Anya B: Yes, absolutely. You have to come and do a workshop with them. We always give our guests a t-shirt that says, Believe in the mission.

Taryell Simmons: Absolutely, just tell me when to pull up, I am pulling up. Before Our Kings became a nonprofit, before it was a movement, it began with you as a mother. Take us back to that moment in 2014 when the world shifted for you as a mother of Black boys.

The Origin of Our Kings

Anya B: In 2014, Michael Brown's killing was the beginning of my boys realizing how society sees African-American boys. I had two boys at that time and they were very young. What they were seeing on the news showed them that their lives did not matter. Michael Brown was laying on the street for over eight hours where his family could not go and cover him up or nurture him. They realized the seriousness of it and they were very afraid for any male around them to be outside because shortly after, Trayvon Martin passed away and so many other boys were murdered. For them, it was the beginning of that reality. As a mom, you understand the heartbreak that brought to me, seeing them scared to go to school, play outside, or just be normal children. I went searching for programs for them to connect with other boys so they could just be kids and not have that weight, and I could not find that. So we created a meetup group for them just to play and enjoy being children. That is how it started.

Anya B: The unique thing was there were so many mothers who were not African-American raising African-American boys saying, I have seen this world, but now I am a part of this world. How do I nurture my boy and support him in this space? So that is how it started back in 2014 with just ten boys hanging out every weekend.

Taryell Simmons: What were some of the questions your sons were asking during that time that made you realize something had to change?

Anya B: There were multiple things like not wanting to go to school or not feeling comfortable. Before, they would ride their bikes outside and ask, Mom, can you go outside with me? But then we were taking a trip to visit my brother in LA and got stopped because the police were stopping traffic. They came to the car and my boys both started screaming with fear. That was the moment I said, I need to do something because they cannot go on living life this way. They were crying and afraid. The police had to come around and tell them, I am not here to hurt you. It was a realization for me as a parent that this is not okay.

The First Meetup and Surprises

Taryell Simmons: When you put that first meetup together, what surprised you most about who showed up?

Anya B: What surprised me most were mothers who were not African-American. It was never meant to be a Black mom, Black boy space only. It was literally, My kids want to go outside. How do I have them around other Black boys where they feel safe? When other mothers—Asian, Hispanic, Caucasian—came, it was a reality that this is bigger than me, and something is bringing us together in this moment, which is our children. For them to feel so comfortable asking me questions like, My son is going through this too. How do I handle it? was a big surprise. They were coming to me and trusting me to answer those questions when I was never on the path to be a leader or advocate. It was just, My son is sad and I need to fix this.

Building Through Fear and Healing

Taryell Simmons: Building something rooted in pain isn't easy. What are some of the emotional challenges you see when holding these spaces for other mothers while navigating your own fears?

Anya B: We have something called Mother to Mother chats. Every family that becomes part of Our Kings has this chat so we can understand what they are looking for. Some of the stories we hear are horrific because these are babies in first grade to sixth grade. To hear stories like, My son is getting called racial slurs every day at school, or nobody wants to play with him, brings that reality back into your face. Carrying the weight of hearing those stories and knowing my sons are going through the exact same thing gives me empathy. That is where that village and true community comes in. We support parents on how to navigate that space and how to heal themselves so they can be there for their sons. We also have therapists because a lot of these boys are going through trauma. Carrying that while dealing with it myself is healing for me because I know I am not alone. When you are by yourself in that space, it can make you feel like you are going insane. But when we have our Mother to Mother chats or when all the families come together, we can support each other and guide our kids to learn their voice.

Taryell Simmons: Were there ever moments when you felt overwhelmed or questioned whether you could keep going?

Anya B: That is an understatement. I was never looking for the role of a leader or advocate speaking to teachers and being in those rooms. I actually was a hairdresser. Those moments of being overwhelmed happen often, but they are short-lived because I get phone calls every day from parents saying their son got an award or appreciating the space we created. The drive is there and it has taken on a world of its own. We are on let's go mode right now.

Taryell Simmons: How do you process the weight of seeing your sons and other boys internalize fear so young, but still show up as a beacon of light?

Anya B: I am in awe of the community and grateful to be welcomed. At Our Kings, we allow boys to be children. They are not carrying the weight. Once they come, we advocate African-American history so they know where they come from and how powerful they are. Those insecurities disappear quickly just being around other boys who look like them. I cannot walk in a room with no confidence if I am telling them to walk in the room with confidence. It is a be one, teach one mentality. Seeing them shine gives me pride because Black boys are amazing, intelligent, noble, and gifted. They bring me a lot of joy.

From Meetup to 501(c)(3) Nonprofit

Taryell Simmons: How did the events of 2020 push you from a meetup to a nonprofit?

Anya B: In 2020, we protested together. But we quickly realized that the motivation from those protests starts to sink down after a while. When I found out we were having twins—two more boys—it felt like deja vu. I wanted to make this more than just a temporary moment. That is when we officially turned it into a 501(c)(3). My brother, who is in education, is my co-chair and ride-or-die. We sat down and put programs behind it. We created the name Our Kings because they are no longer just the mother's children; they are all of our children. Kings stands for Kind, Intelligent, Noble, Gifted Sons of kings and queens. The boys say that every time they are together, and it gives them natural confidence. In 2023, we made sure Our Kings was everywhere in San Diego letting people know we are here.

Programs of Our Kings

Taryell Simmons: Walk us through your programs like Mommy and King, Kings Keeper, and Kings to Kings.

Anya B: Mommy and Kings is for newborns, preschoolers, and toddlers. We support parents in the healthcare, education, and justice systems. In that space, we build the village and cover topics like knowing your rights and what questions to ask doctors. It is a meetup group with story time, music, and arts and crafts dedicated to the African-American boy. They see themselves in books and embrace culture through African, Afro-Latino, hip hop, and jazz music. Kings Keepers is our core cohort for elementary to seventh grade. We do hands-on workshops led by Black male professionals so the boys see themselves reflected. They learn brotherhood, leadership, mentorship, and African-American cultural pride in a nine-month cohort from September to May. Kings to Kings is for eighth grade and high school. It is also a nine-month cohort that dives deeper into entrepreneurship and includes a man cave led by men where they can have honest, non-judgmental conversations. They learn how to build business plans, present elevator pitches, and understand finances. Each group acts as a big brother to the next: Kings to Kings mentors Kings Keepers, who mentor the Mommy and King boys. That is what builds the village.

Taryell Simmons: I love that. How do these programs support the parents and caregivers?

Anya B: Parents have to volunteer and show up. We are not a pickup and drop-off organization. You are part of the village. If we are doing a workshop on music, parents have a workshop or Zoom on how to support their son if he gravitates toward that. Each workshop supports the parents so they can guide their sons.

Supporting Parents and Giving Grace

Taryell Simmons: What lessons rise to the surface for you about raising kings in a world that tests them?

Anya B: I have learned that they carry a lot of pressure. Just walking home can be scary. As parents, we have to realize they might have had a really hard day trying to prove they are not troublemakers. We have to dive deeper than just asking, How was your day? The pipeline to prison is real and starts very young. Society tells them to toughen up, but we have to let them know it is okay to cry, feel, and give them grace. We must give our boys grace.

Taryell Simmons: That is real. We don't learn how to process emotion in a healthy way because of societal and at-home pressures. If a father is not in the household, a son often fulfills the role of both son and the man of the house.

Anya B: Yes, I call it the man of the house syndrome. It is a real thing. You feel responsible for your siblings and your mom's wellbeing, and you no longer can be a child. It carries on throughout life. It is a lot for boys, and it happens naturally even if it is not explicitly said.

Advice and Creating Safe Spaces

Taryell Simmons: What advice do you have for parents who feel afraid and do not know where to turn?

Anya B: We start every workshop with meditation, art therapy, journaling, or breathing exercises to let things go. Creating that space at home to breathe before having hard conversations is a good idea. Come with no judgment and allow him to say what he needs to say without shutting him down. Personally, I write things down with my sons, put them in a bowl, and then elaborate on them. Writing things down feels safer and less judged. It is okay to recognize that we do not have all the answers, but we can find them together. Acknowledging that it is a safe space is very important.

Taryell Simmons: What does belonging look like for Black boys and why is it a non-negotiable?

Anya B: It is non-negotiable because I have Black sons. They should always feel like they belong in any space. Belonging is giving your son the opportunity to be there, and for society, it is allowing them to be there with no judgment. Do not expect anything different from him than you do from any other child. Keep it equal.

How to Support and Get Involved

Taryell Simmons: How can entrepreneurs, donors, and community leaders support Our Kings authentically?

Anya B: Our website is a good start where you can volunteer, donate, or sign up to be a guest speaker. We also host many events to celebrate our boys. You can email us at [email protected] or connect through our social media.

Taryell Simmons: Tell them the pathways where people can learn more, support, and get involved.

Anya B: We just closed our waitlist for the new cohort, and we have over sixty boys signed up. We are also in after-school programs in school districts like Lemon Grove, Santee, and San Diego. If you talk to your teachers, they can help make it happen. We have a Hats and Bow Tie Brunch coming up on May 23rd to celebrate the boys. Tickets are sold on Eventbrite. You can also email us at [email protected]. Alexandra is our administrative assistant, and she will get back to you right away.

Taryell Simmons: Make sure you pull up to that event on May 23rd. Anya, this has been a pleasure. Support the programs and share this episode. Subscribe to Rise Urban Nation, leave us a review, and let us continue to rise together.