Queen Yonasda, an artist, revolutionary and business woman, has been bringing her brand of activism to the masses for the longest and she has morphed once again into an agent of wellness.
It was only right that we talk to the queen about the movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” and get her take and how it relates to her own Revolutionary Healing.
Revolutionary Healing started the same month Chadwick Boseman died – August of 2020. Since, it has expanded the monthly day retreats into a family friendly Annual Friendsgiving Festival, which takes as the Crowning Event of Native American Heritage Month on the 3rd Sunday in November. The festival has a number of Hip-Hop acts, authors, meditation, art therapy, fitness, group therapy, and much more. For more, go to TheRevolutionaryHealing.com for more like vendors.
Revolutionary Healing is already a success that oozes positivity in a time where the negative seems to rule. Chuck “Jigsaw” Creekmur talks movies and movement with his dear friend with Queen Yonasda.
AllHipHop: What did you think of Wakanda Forever?
Queen Yonasda: I absolutely loved “Wakanda Forever.” Myself being Native American (Oglala Lakota and Black) my experiences have been from a Native American perspective and also a Black American perspective. And growing up in Arizona I also grew up around many Mexicans. As I navigated these experiences I always saw the similarities more than the differences. When I would watch the Aztec dancers, I would also feel the sound of the drum that Native Americans and Africans would play. The beautiful array of colors in the regalia, language, customs and son on. In the dawn of social media, we have access to see the similarities and our common struggles but we also have access for people to focus on our differences and a war of “my struggle is worse than your struggle!”
And, in “Wakanda Forever,” this was shown. I believe it was beautifully done by Ryan Coogler, who comes from Oakland, a very rich city of resilience , activism and also Native, Black and Brown solidarity.
We have seen on social media many “bot accounts” that have created division – like the fake BLM accounts – and many of us have kept the rhetoric going by debating with one another and competing on historical abuse.
AllHipHop: How can this be expanded beyond just being a movie, sort of how the first Black Panther movie sparked biggest conversation?
Queen Yonasda: “Wakanda Forever” is a film that should be taught from a historical context and present and grab many non-fictional stories of shape shifting the “real black panther,” the Mayans, Aztecs and even them also being enslaved from Spaniards. The same way Black American felt empowered by the first Black Panther to go even as far to Ghana for the Year of The Return. I believe that many Mexican Americans, Hispanic people are going to try to reconnect to their Indigenous roots before Spain came . Ryan is brilliant. Yes there is certain elementary level references but that’s why it’s our duty as adults to inspire our children to research more.
For this month to be Native American Heritage month all of this history matters. Reclaiming our culture matters. The beauty is that two strong nations Black and Brown hold the multiverses powerful resource and that’s true knowledge of self and oh yeah vibranium.
AllHipHop: How did you feel about and is there a relationship to your “Revolutionary Healing” movement. on November 20th?
Queen Yonasda: The passing of Chadwick hit me hard. Just several months after getting the news I have Stage 4 lung cancer, our superhero passes away from cancer. It shocked us all. I was saddened but I was also encouraged to keep fighting and not allowing this cancer to define me. He didn’t allow cancer to define him or stop him from playing Black Panther and so many other roles. He persevered. That month he passed away is when I had my first Revolutionary Healing In 2020, a safe place where we can come together as a community and heal with no labels.
AllHipHop: Tell me more about Revolutionary Healing?
Queen Yonasda: On November 20th – my 3rd annual Revolutionary Healing : Friendsgiving Festival theme is “Friendships of All Walks Of Life.” We are going to have native Americans from various tribes, African (south and west) , Aztec tribes, Asian, Caribbean and sooo many. From 11am -8pm at Wilkerson Mill Park , Palmetto, Georgia (15 mins from the airport)
AllHipHop: By the way, did you see “The Woman King,” because I saw that as a precursor to “Wakanda Forever.”
Queen Yonasda: Yes I absolutely love that as well. Many tribes in Africa were matriarchal societies like many in the United States. We didn’t call our women “kings” because that’s an English term. But they were in leadership positions. Yes there was a lot missing but I believe it was a great introduction and once again we must study further.
