Yolisa hails from Azania, better known as South Afrika. Yolisa’s name means, “the one
who brings joy” in her native Xhosa language, popularized by the infamous Miriam
Makeba. Yolisa is a staunch believer of holistic Afrikan-centred practices in healing,
teaching, education, cultural analysis, social transformation. She is a critical cultural
consultant, educator, multidisciplinary artist and community activist due to her
involvement in the global anti-apartheid movement since the 70’s and 80’s in Canada.
Yolisa’s life work is underpinned by the fundamental belief that- ONLY WE HAVE
THE POWER TO TRULY HEAL & LIBERATE OURSELVES AS AFRIKANS.
Yolisa holds a Bachelor of Arts with Honors degree from Brock University, St.
Catherines, Ontario, and a Masters degree from Witwatersrand University in
Johannesburg, South Africa. Yolisa’s areas of expertise range from artistic projects such
as publishing, producing theatre for social transformation; health, wellness and selfrecovery
workshops; anti-racism research, training and consulting, as well as small
business initiatives.
Yolisa strongly believes in self-empowerment through self-awareness, Afrikan healing
and spirituality, and creativity. She was influenced by Black Consciousness and Pan
Afrikanism from an early age Yolisa has published two important academic papers
addressing the call for an "African Renaissance" as well as conducting a hugely
successful national research project for the SA Human Rights Commission on racism in
public secondary schools with Salim Vally. She has delivered numerous academic
presentations and workshops on a variety of topics including:
• Daring to Name Racism, Power, & White Privilege – Is White Anti-racism an
Oxymoron
• Beyond Curry & Kwanza – Multiculturalism vs Anti-Racism
• A Blak Feminist Analysis of Haile Gerima’s Film Sankofa: Race, Class & Gender
• The Call for an Afrikan Renaissance: The New South Afrika
• Loving Our Children – teaching self-esteem to Afrikan children based on Afrikan
principles & interactive techniques: games, movies, storytelling, etc.
• Conflict Resolution - Afrikan Style! – the village, I’n’I philosophy, the role of
elders & the community, spirituality
• Unleashing Our Power – Afrikan Youth Leadership & Lifeskills Training
• Reclaiming Afrikan Knowledge Systems through Afrikan-centred Participatory
Exercises
• Losing Our Sons – Blak Mothers Living with the Trauma of Loss – healing
through Afrikan spiritual methods
• Afrikan Philosophy in Daily Life: Applying the Principles of Maat, Kwanzaa &
Ubuntu
Yolisa lectured at the School of Dramatic Art while engaged in graduate studies at the
University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Afrika for 5 years. She
specialized in: Drama & Theatre in Education which focused on popular communitybased
pedagogy as well as curriculum development and teacher education; issues of Race
and Representation as they relate to African Studies, Women and Gender Studies,
Cultural Studies and Film studies; Anti-Oppression theory and practice related to
curriculum development, liberatory consciousnesses and social transformation. In South
Africa, Yolisa's belief in the need for a healthy and dynamic relationship between theory,
academe, lived experience and activism was strongly reaffirmed. Much of Yolisa’s
academic work sought to explore this actively with students in relation to alternative
learning and teaching processes and curriculum development.
Yolisa is currently working on a number of timely and exciting projects underpinned by
theory as a site for liberatory pedagogy and critical analysis. Yolisa is primarily an
educator whose work is located in the areas of – youth and women’s empowerment,
community transformation, curriculum development, the need for renewed anti-racism
and anti-apartheid movements and critical cultural analysis through film, theatre,
multimedia. She also trains and teaches community groups and individuals in Theatre of
the Oppressed techniques combined with the theories of Paulo Freire and Afrikan
thinkers such as Steve Biko, bell hooks, Patricia Hill-Collins, Asa Hilliard to name a few.
This summer, Yolisa is pleased to be working with the Council on African Canadian
Education (CACE) in Nova Scotia who will host a Summer Institute on Africentric
Leadership and Management for Educators. She highly regards the achievements of all
those involved in pioneering this timely initiative and is confident it will inspire others.
“It is a vital contribution to Canada but particularly Canada’s Afrikan community no
matter where they reside and Yolisa is honored to be involved in this historic initiative. I
wish it the greatest success.”
