Darika Brown of Los Angeles County on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Darika Brown. Check out our conversation below.

Darika, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: What battle are you avoiding?
I’m avoiding reliving a lifetime of absence. For 31 years my mother wasn’t in my life. Now I’m facing not being present for her funeral or possibly not receiving her ashes from my siblings. I’m trying to grieve, but I’m also trying to understand why I was born into this absence.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
✨Hello, my name is Darika Brown, I’m 31 years old and a proud first-generation college graduate with a B.A. in Sociology. I’m also a published author, poet, and podcast host of Poetic Sundays. In addition to writing poetry, fiction, and journaling, I’m a singer and rapper who uses creativity as a way to connect with people’s emotions and stories.

Beyond my artistic side, I am the founder of Stopping Cry’s, a nonprofit organization I started at 26. Over the past five and a half years, we’ve had the privilege of donating more than 80,000 hygiene products to individuals and families throughout Los Angeles County. Our mission is to educate communities on the importance of hygiene, how germs, viruses, and infections spread, and how to protect one another’s health.

Through programs like our Lavender Care Initiative—which supports sex workers and men by providing condoms, hand soap, and hand sanitizer—we address overlooked health needs with dignity and care. We also piloted a Hygiene Locker Program to ensure students, including those in foster care, have access to basic hygiene supplies at school and at home.

Looking forward, our big goal is to expand our services for unhoused and low-income residents by fundraising for a mobile laundry truck and mobile shower RV. We believe that everyone deserves the basic dignity of being clean, and our outreach is open to all—regardless of race, gender, or background.

What makes Stopping Cry’s unique is our blend of creativity, education, and compassion. We don’t just hand out products—we build awareness, restore dignity, and create solutions that meet people where they are. I’m excited about the future and dedicated to making hygiene access a right, not a privilege.
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Thanks for sharing that. Would love to go back in time and hear about how your past might have impacted who you are today. What breaks the bonds between people—and what restores them?
✨I believe what often breaks the bonds between people is unhealed trauma. When pain isn’t addressed, it spills over into how we interact with others—causing cycles of hurt, distance, or even generational patterns of dysfunction. That’s why I’m passionate about breaking generational traumas and generational curses; when we don’t heal, the same wounds keep repeating in families and communities.

What restores those bonds is healing, first and foremost. Healing 101 is learning to focus on yourself, to take accountability, and to grow. From there, it’s about practicing active listening. When you truly listen, you become a better communicator, and that opens the door for understanding and reconciliation.

I also believe there’s a deeper layer—sometimes the struggles that break relationships, like addiction, poor health, or destructive habits, are tied to our DNA and bloodline. For example, families can carry patterns of drug or alcohol addiction, or even unhealthy eating habits that lead to diseases like diabetes. Recognizing that these patterns exist helps us to be intentional about breaking them. And when people commit to healing not just themselves, but their family lines, that’s when restoration truly begins. ✨

What did suffering teach you that success never could?
✨Suffering taught me something success never could: that my journey is uniquely mine. We may share similar struggles with others, but no two experiences are the same. My pain forced me to pause, to really listen—to my father’s teachings, to my own trembling thoughts, and to the quiet lessons hidden inside the chaos.

If I had only known success, I wouldn’t have discovered my purpose, my compassion, or my strength to rise again and again. My struggles shaped my personality and gave me the heart to help strangers, because I know what it feels like to be down. Suffering reminded me that there will never be another me—no one can walk in my shoes, fall as I have, and still get back up like I was never laid down.✨

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Is the public version of you the real you?
✨I would say the public version of me is very real—sometimes a little too real. As an author and creative, I’ve learned that while honesty is important, not everything needs to be shared. Some parts of your life and emotions should remain your own, because professionalism means knowing when to speak and when to hold back.

Being authentic doesn’t mean exposing everything; it means showing up consistently, improving your mindset, and staying focused on your purpose. I’ve had to learn not to wear all my emotions on my sleeve, but to balance raw honesty with wisdom and discipline.✨

Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
✨If I knew I had only 10 years left, the first thing I would stop doing is investing so much of my time and energy into other people’s businesses. I used to believe that supporting others would motivate them to support me in return, but I learned the hard way that it doesn’t always work that way. My father always told me not to have expectations, and now I understand why.

Instead, I would focus on living fully—stop working seven days a week, start traveling, and finally put stamps in my passport. And most importantly, one of my first priorities would be retiring my father, so he could enjoy peace and rest while I still have time to make it happen.✨

Contact Info:

• Website: https://stoppingcrys.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stoppingcrys?igsh=MWdtMnBhZGNyaXZhcQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/eOwx63KtH2DAtMDF0G
• Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/poetic-sundays/id1524360776