Alana Raquel Bowers
Alana Raquel Bowers is the Storytellers Talent Manager.
She is a Baltimore-bred, NYC-based actor, dancer, singer, and activist who is passionate inspiring those who have a dream and using her own dream to change the world for the better. With a knack for social justice and a desire for equality for all, Alana uses her artistic talents to challenge societal norms and break boundaries for a better tomorrow.
Captured by J. Will
My North Star
My cross necklace is an inclination of who I am and what sustains me. It was given to me when I was 13 by my aunt, who is a deacon. She spearheaded my career, taught me in preschool, and was my teacher for confirmation. I'm not Catholic, but I grew up in a United Church of Christ and apparently, they do confirmations. I had no clue about denominations, the meaning behind them, or the rules that certain ones had that others didn't. I just followed the protocol of what my sister and my cousins did.
So, when it was time for me to turn 13, I knew I was going to be in these classes every Saturday, that my aunt was going to teach me, and that I was going to need to bring my Bible book - it was just second nature. But by the end of confirmation, I was excited because it meant that I finally got to join the “in-crowd," which were the people who got to eat the bread and drink the wine. As a 13 year old girl, I was most excited about this, but it's also when I got this necklace.
My aunt told me that it was always going to be my North Star, and I didn't quite understand the weight of this at the time. Now however, I consider it to be a very dear piece of jewelry. One - because it was given to me by someone that I love very much. But two - as life started to life and obstacles started to inform how I wanted to show up in the world, one of the only constants that I had was this necklace. There is a wonderful tangibility to being able to touch something that is constant to you, knowing that it is always going to physically be there.
I also had a faith growth spurt over the pandemic. I understood that there is a reminder of my own power and the Kingdom of God living within me. This necklace is a physical example of what I was born with, and the bigness of how I can show up in the room and in the world. It's a very small but personal reminder of my purpose and my past; it has been a balm.
Through all of the circumstances that have arisen in my life, whether difficult or exciting, I love that every photo in my life - from my high school graduation to my Broadway debut - this necklace is there. It's a steadfast reminder of my purpose.