Naya Jones, PhD

Naya Jones, PhD (she/her) is an artist-scholar who bridges ritual arts, activism, and research. Her award-winning solo and collaborative work lifts up Black geographies of healing and the environment. She has guided meditation and ceremony with Black, Indigenous, and People of Color and social justice organizations since 2008. Her ancestral and spiritual path as a Blaxicana (Black and Mexican/Xicana) nourishes all of the work. She is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Global and Community Health at the University of California Santa Cruz, on the unceded land of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band. From her own journey with burnout, she is passionate about the wellbeing of activists and grassroots healers. You can also find her training to be a movement chaplain at the Starr King School for the Ministry. Visit her publications and art at: www.nayajones.com.