Dionne F.
Biography
Dionne Ferguson, a St. Louis, Missouri native, spent her early, formative years in Laclede Town, a community that acknowledged, embraced and celebrated differences among members, and created strong connections through a collective humanity. Later and as a part of school desegregation, Dionne was bussed to a predominantly white high school. Following this experience, she moved to Atlanta and attended Spelman College, a Historically Black College/University, and Georgia Institute of Technology, a Predominantly White Institution. Dionne's early work and cultural expansion experience was with the U.S. Peace Corps, living and working in Lesotho, Zimbabwe and South Africa. These years helped to form her ideas around race and social justice and motivated Dionne to work from a place of love with youth and Black communities.
Dionne is the founder and executive director of Good Journey Development Foundation, a community and youth leadership development organization. Good Journey supports youth leaders across the St. Louis region as they promote justice, equity and change.
Dionne was a Program Associate with NCCJ St. Louis, planning, coordinating and facilitating inclusion and anti-oppression educational workshops with universities, school districts, institutions and youth and arts organizations across Missouri. Dionne also facilitated school-to-prison pipeline workshops and State of Deception talking circles at the Missouri History Museum; and facilitated stakeholder groups for the Ferguson (MO) Commission.
Dionne's experiences include creating a Youth Leadership Academy focusing young people on personal development and community engagement. She has also created and facilitated professional development workshops focusing on curriculum content, teacher and student motivation and engagement, vision and culture, effective communication, and conflict management and resolution workshops for organizations working with communities and youth. Dionne has planned and coordinated conferences, events and international tours for Good Journey Development Foundation, U.S. Peace Corps, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., the Saint Louis Art Museum, Greater East St. Louis Chamber of Commerce, American Friends Service Committee and College Summit Inc.
Dionne is a board member of the St. Louis Philanthropic Organization, funding organizations whose work benefits St. Louis City residents. She is also a board member of the Organization for Black Struggle whose mission is to build a movement that fights for political empowerment, economic justice and the cultural dignity of the African-American community, especially the Black working class.
Dionne is passionate about her culture, positive development of young people and attaining freedom in this lifetime. Her greatest accomplishment remains raising her strong-willed, intelligent, world changing, daughter, Malaika Tinashe.