Standing With the Wells-Wonsley Family: Inside NAPAWF'S 30th Anniversary Celebration
There are some rooms you walk into expecting to celebrate, and then there are rooms that remind you why showing up matters.
Women for the Culture was honored to be invited to cover the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum's (NAPAWF) 30th Anniversary Celebration, an evening centered around community, advocacy, resilience, and the power of showing up for one another.
Thirty years of NAPAWF is certainly something worth celebrating. But this particular evening carried a deeper significance. It was about standing together.
A Celebration With a Deeper Purpose
A portion of the funds raised through the celebration will go to support the Wells-Wonsley family, whose beloved son, Nolan Wells, died after disappearing during a Fourth of July boating trip in Mississippi. His parents, Christine Wells-Wonsley and Elmore Wonsley, continue to seek transparency, answers, and justice surrounding their son’s death.
And as the evening unfolded, it became clear that this was about much more than an anniversary. It was about what happens when a community decides that a family should not have to fight alone.
“Standing With the Wells-Wonsley Family”
One of the moments that stayed with me was hearing Congresswoman Judy Chu, the first Chinese American woman elected to Congress, speak about the Wells-Wonsley family.
As she accepted her honor, Chu expressed her solidarity with Christine and Elmore and their continued fight for answers for their son, expressing how deeply sorry she was that their family has had to endure this unimaginable pain.
There was something powerful about hearing those words in a room filled with women, advocates, leaders, and community members who understood that justice cannot only matter when it happens to someone who looks like us. Sometimes, standing with another family is simply the most human thing we can do.
“Standing with the Wells-Wonsley family on seeking justice for their son.” Those words carried weight.
Then Christine Spoke
But when Christine Wells-Wonsley took the microphone, the energy in the room shifted. You could feel it.
Looking out at the sea of women, many of whom carried features reminiscent of her own late mother; the emotion rushed in. Having lost her mother years ago, Christine spoke of the comforting thought that her mother and her son are together now.
She shared a tender memory of the two of them: how when Nolan was little, her mother would share coffee with him, gently reminding her that he was just a child. Now, through her grief, she holds that memory close.
Standing before us, visibly struggling to hold back a profound wave of emotion, she wasn't just speaking about a cold case. She was speaking about her child—her sonshine. Because behind every headline, every investigation, and every call for justice is a family with memories that cannot be reduced to a news story. There is a mother who remembers her son's personality, a grandmother who shared coffee with him, and a family who remembers his laugh, his presence, and his life.
“I Just Want Answers.”
Christine held back tears as she spoke about Nolan and the one thing she continues to want most: answers.
You could feel the weight of that word throughout the room. Not speculation. Not noise. Not attention. Just answers.
Christine has continued to publicly advocate for her son and for transparency surrounding his death. NAPAWF's decision to support the Wells-Wonsley family reflects the organization's broader commitment to advocacy, justice, and ensuring that AANHPI women and families have the resources and power to fight for themselves and their communities.
Why Showing Up Matters
As a Black and Filipino American young man, Nolan's story also sits at an important intersection of communities. His family reflects the beautiful complexity of the AANHPI community NAPAWF represents, while his story has resonated far beyond one community.
Looking out at the room that evening, Christine carried the deep-rooted belief that her moma and Nolan were smiling down on her. That grace and spiritual strength infused her words with a power that stayed with everyone in attendance.
And perhaps that is what showing up really looks like. It looks like making room for someone else's grief, listening when a mother says she needs answers, and using our voices, our platforms, and our seats at the table to make sure families do not have to fight alone.
Women for the Culture Stands With the Wells-Wonsley Family
Women for the Culture is grateful to have been in the room... grateful to witness the work, to hear Christine's story directly, and to stand alongside an organization that understands celebration and advocacy can exist in the same space.
We are proud to support NAPAWF and the Wells-Wonsley family as they continue to seek truth, transparency, and justice for Nolan.
May his name continue to be said: Nolan Wells.
And may the people who love him continue to feel the power of a community that is willing to show up.
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