Ayaan Natala is an aspiring research-scholar-activist, who grew up in Minnesota (Mni Sota), also known as Ojibwe/Dakota land. She was raised by a South-side Chicagoan mother and Zambian father in the Twin Cities; as a result, she is passionate about the African diaspora. She is a member of the Critical Black Studies cohort at the University of Minnesota American Studies department where she studies Black feminism, Black radicalism, and social movements. Her dissertation explores how Black Lives Matter organizing influenced Black Minnesotans' reflections on freedom within the context of their life histories. She seeks to understand how the 2020 historic moment of social movement mobilization influences Black residents, activists, and community leaders' conceptions of freedom–and how they struggle to make those visions a reality. Aside from academics, Ayaan is passionate about health and wellness, nature, and creating a soundtrack for her next travel adventure.