Lunchtime Impact Conversation with YoNasDa Lonewolf
YoNasDa Lonewolf is a living example of the saying, “No Nation Can Rise Higher Than Its Women.” Being self-driven, she is living her divine calling as an activist and a voice against any injustice that affects people worldwide. GSIC Director Lavonya Jones moderated a conversation with Georgia Tech’s Institute for Leadership and Social Impact about her journey and work collaborating across communities as an Afro-Indigenous woman.
By: Lavonya Jones, Director
In collaboration with Georgia Tech’s Institute for Leadership and Social Impact and the Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain, the Georgia Social Impact Collaborative hosted Lunchtime Impact Talk featuring YoNasDa (Yo-Naja-Ha) LoneWolf, a beloved community organizer, entrepreneur, and writer whom the City of South Fulton named a day after (November 21 is “Queen YoNasDa Appreciation Day.” ).
YoNasDa was born during the American Indian Movement & 1978’s The Longest Walk in Washington, DC. She is Oglala Lakota and African American. Her late mother, an Oglala Lakota (Sioux), Wauneta Lonewolf, was a renowned motivational speaker, substance abuse, gang prevention counselor, and healer. Her father, who is African American, is a fine artist.
Queen YoNasDa is a living example of the saying, “No Nation Can Rise Higher Than Its Women.” Being self-driven, she is living her divine calling from her early beginnings in the entertainment industry as a rap artist and choreographer for BET’S own Teen Summit to her most recent work as an activist and a voice against any injustice that affects people worldwide. She has used entertainment to bring awareness to the condition of oppressed people whether it’s releasing two albums and touring with Wutang Clan or performing at the Annual Gathering of Nations Pow Wow and Festival, she walks in many cultural paths. She has also used this influence to organize many events uniting all people together. She has coined “edu-tainement” in all of her organizing efforts.
She is the host and creator of the “Walk In My Mocassins” podcast, and she wrote and published a children’s book called “The Adventures of Star Song.”
YoNasDa has used her influence and business expertise to collaborate with Black and Native American-owned businesses with various products, from clothing to body care. Read more of her bio here. Listen to the full interview here.
Impact is a monthly series of meaningful, free, and open conversations. The main goal of the series is to engage students, faculty, staff, and the broader community on topics that matter through discussions and presentations by leaders and entrepreneurs from all sectors. Past talks are accessible on the Institute for Leadership and Social Impact’s YouTube page.
