BET'S Trap Queen Shares Testimony at Upcoming Booksinging

 

Ayana Bean is recognized by many as a passionate advocate for artists and producers. Others learned of Ayana Bean as star of BET's celebrated series, 'American Gangster: Trap Queens' and a former convicted felon. Bean is the first to acknowledge both personas are true. In the same way she took accountability for laundering almost a quarter of a million dollars from an academic institution, Bean acknowledges the way many judge her today, is a part of her reality because of past mistakes.

Instead of tucking her head and attempting to live in anonymity, Bean took the opportunity to write her story in hopes that it would discourage another single mother from making bad choices to support their families. Her book, "A Year and a Day" detail her struggles as a young single mother with a drug-addicted boyfriend, her choice to attend school and later chronicles her choice to steal money from students in order to fund her life and promote independent artists and producers with her record label, and finally the year and a day she served for those crimes.

Bean says trials and tribulations, even mistakes are a part of life because the testimony is needed for others. When asked if the money was worth it, she responds, "No money is worth time away from your family. You can get money back, but you can't get time back, so no the money wasn't worth it."

Although her story was featured on BET's hit series, "American Gangster: Trap Queens", Bean doesn't feel her actions qualified as "gangster".

"There's nothing gangster about committing a crime and going to jail. What's gangster is doing your time and then coming home and making things right and actively helping others make better choices so they don't follow your example down the wrong path," she says.

Ayana Bean will be signing books at OliTonistyle Boutique in Atlanta, Ga, Saturday, August 20, 2022 from 5pm - 9pm. OliToni Style is located at 572 Edgewood Ave SE Set 115, Atlanta, GA.