Hello there!
I’m Amari Pollard, an assistant professor, journalist, poet, host and audience development strategist. My debut poetry collection, “Where There Are Flowers and the Moon,” was published with Folkways Press in December 2024. My work aims to create space for overlooked stories within news, culture, wellness and sports.
After years of spearheading social and community for media organizations such as The NYTimes’s Wirecutter and The Week, I independently opened a digital media consulting firm before transitioning into a full-time professorship at Sacramento State. During the
Photo by Ashish Pamula
academic year, I teach News Reporting and Multimedia Storytelling.
I’ve co-hosted several shows, including ESPN’s women’s lacrosse halftime show “Sound On with Tari & Amari,” Athletes Unlimited’s “Draft Off with Tari & Amari,” and the independent podcast “Sufficiently Black.” My writing has been featured in The Week, MindbodyGreen, Bustle, VeryWell, Reader’s Digest, Inside Lacrosse, NYMI SOJO and more.
Although I’ve chased after city living my whole life, I’m happily a small-town girl at heart. I grew up 20 minutes outside of Syracuse, NY, and attended Le Moyne College to study journalism. I later earned my M.A. in media and communication from UNC Hussman as a Roy H. Park Fellow.
After moving to five cities over a six-year period, I’ve settled in Sacramento, CA with my husband and our semi-thriving plants. I love spending time with my family, watching reruns of Great British Bake Off (season three is the best), and tasting my way through the town. Creating engaging content to help people connect is my passion. I hope it will always be a part of the work I do.
If you’re interested in connecting, reach out to me at amari@amaridawn.com.