Vonda McDaniel

Nashville, Tennessee mourns the loss of Vonda Adair McDaniel, a beloved daughter, sister, aunt, servant leader, labor advocate, woman of faith, and tireless champion for working people.

Vonda was the daughter of William and Carole McDaniel and the beloved sister of Valinda Burks. She was also a cherished aunt to her niece Jewel Burks Solomon(Zekarias), and her nephew Myles Sidney.

A proud Nashvillian, Vonda’s life was deeply rooted in family, faith, service, and justice. She grew up in the life and legacy of First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill, a church whose history and witness helped shape her lifelong commitment to community, civil rights, and the dignity of all people.

A graduate of Tennessee State University, Vonda began her labor journey in 1992 with the United Rubber Workers at the Bridgestone-Firestone plant in La Vergne, Tennessee. Her gifts as a leader quickly became clear. She served as a shop steward, became active in the United Steelworkers, and grew into a respected voice through the Women of Steel program, where she not only received training but later helped train and encourage others.

Vonda went on to serve as President of the Central Labor Council of Nashville and Middle Tennessee, AFL-CIO, where she represented and advocated for working families across the region. In 2017, she was elected as a Vice President of the national AFL-CIO Executive Council, expanding her voice and influence beyond Nashville while remaining deeply connected to the people and communities that shaped her.

Her leadership extended across labor, faith, civic life, and community justice. Vonda served as Vice-Chair of the Music City Center board and was active in organizations including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, the A. Philip Randolph Institute, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, and other efforts dedicated to building opportunity, equity, and power for working people. She was also named Co-Executive Director of the Highlander Research and Education Center, continuing her lifelong work of grassroots organizing and movement building in the South.

Vonda lived with courage, conviction, compassion, and purpose. She believed in the power of ordinary people to make extraordinary change. She stood with workers, lifted her voice for justice, mentored leaders, honored her church and community, and carried forward a legacy of faith in action.

She will be remembered for her strength, her brilliance, her humor, her fierce love for her family and community, and her unwavering belief that people are stronger when they stand together.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 7, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, Capitol Hill in Nashville, Tennessee, with the Ivy Beyond the Wall ceremony at 6:30 p.m. A Celebration of Life will be held on Wednesday, July 8, at 12:00 noon at the Music City Center in Nashville, Tennessee.

Vonda Adair McDaniel’s work, witness, and love will live on in the lives she touched, the leaders she inspired, and the movements she helped strengthen.

RECEPTION IMMEDIATELY following funeral service.   NO CHARGE for parking.