Ghanaian-American writer and filmmaker Claudia Owusu uses film and poetry to explore Black girlhood, identity and cultural memory across the African diaspora.
Her work examines the personal and collective experiences of Black women and girls, often focusing on community, belonging and the stories people carry across generations.
Owusu’s creative practice is shaped by her connection to Ghana and the United States. Through her writing and filmmaking, she explores how migration, family histories and shared memories influence identity, while highlighting the everyday experiences and emotional worlds of Black girls and women.
She gained recognition for the documentary Ampe: Leap into the Sky, Black Girl, which she directed and wrote with Ife Oluwamuyide. The film is set between Accra, Ghana, and Columbus, Ohio, and explores ampe, a traditional Ghanaian jumping and clapping game, as a lens for understanding Black girlhood, joy, freedom and cultural connection across the African diaspora.
The documentary has screened at international film festivals, including Aesthetica, the New York African Film Festival, Urbanworld and BlackStar Fest. It has been recognized for centering Black girlhood through themes of community, care, self-expression and the cultural significance of childhood traditions.
Beyond filmmaking, Owusu is also a poet and essayist.
Her writing has appeared in literary publications including Prairie Schooner, The Offing, Chestnut Review, Ninth Letter, Bellingham Review, Indianapolis Review, Vogue, Narrative Northwest, Akoroko and Brittle Paper. She is the author of the poetry chapbook In These Bones I am Shifting.
Through her creative work, Owusu shows how ordinary experiences from childhood games to family stories can preserve cultural identity, deepen connections between generations and link communities across borders.
