Dana Maeshia

Dana Maeshia was born and raised in the inner city of San Francisco, CA.  She was a mother, social entrepreneur, and community advocate that pushes literacy in Sacramento, CA. She passed away on 8/30/21 of Covid19 complications.

She was the owner of All Things Literacy which is a Book Store in Florin Square that pride’s itself on carrying literature that uplifts the culture and provokes critical thinking and thoughtful conversations. 

She was the Founder of Escape Velocity Resources which is a grass root organization that seeks to assist others in defying gravity by increasing literacy rates in the African American Community, creating empowering spaces with an emphasis on self awareness, advocacy and actualization. 

She was also seeking to fill in the gaps in access to culturally sensitive mental health services for youth and families in the urban community. 

She introduced young people to influential icons in history and living legends by expanding the platform created through Around The Way Girls and Boys in the Hood Book Club.  These literacy programs meet weekly using brand new books provided by Escape Velocity and community partners.

She was one of the co-organizers of the Black Friday Coalition, where she and her partners created space and opportunity for Business Development and Brand Awareness.  She was a proponent of employing youth from the community and used her voice to encourage others to utilize their power to keep the local economy stimulated by supporting local businesses whenever possible. 

Dana received awards and recognition from local organizations such as Build Black, VOY, Inc. and Mack Road Partnership for her community service and commitment to building businesses to solidify the required infrastructure for sustainability and opportunities to train and employ the youth.

She partnered with local organizations and businesses who shared her passion, target demographic and initiatives such as Sojourner Truth Museum, TACCT Taxes and the Wellness to Well Being Foundation to name a few.

Finally, she enjoyed engaging in dialogue that would convert to action items to change the trajectory of families and community by raising the standards and challenging societal norms.