Haunani-Kay Trask

Haunani-Kay Trask was born to a family who advocated for Hawaiian statehood. Haunani-Kay went against the grain and she has spent her life fighting for independence for her people.

She spent several years in the mainland while attending the University of Wisconsin and the University of Chicago, where she joined the Black Panther Party. She focused on her homeland and preserving native Hawaiian culture. 

Haunani-Kay returned home to teach at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, specializing in Polynesian women, Hawaii’s political movements and the Pacific Islands. Her work is revered, and she was awarded the Angele Y. Davis Prize in 2019 for her work in education and the arts.