Today we’d like to introduce you to Amorous Ebony.
Hi Amorous, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My work has forever been about the consistent return to myself. For so long, I found myself in spaces that held parts of me but never fully held all of me. I found these pockets of home when I began doing my work in the community and when I am on stage performing.
The radicalization of Ebony began when I was very young. I was a youth cultural organizer for the Youth Resiliency Institute. Under the mentorship of Navasha Daya and Fanon Hill, I started my journey as an organizer. From honoring and listening to the stories of respected elders to hosting cultural arts-related events, to engaging the community in healthy dialogue about family, self-identity, and the arts, I felt that I could fully stand in myself.
They gave me the tools to show up in the fullest way. In 2013, I visited Arusha, Tanzania in East Africa. I had the pleasure of staying with Mama Charlotte Hill O’Neal and Baba Pete O’Neal who founded the 1972 Kansas City Chapter of the Black Panthers. I performed with a local music group; Wakunga Zamani, singing traditional songs and experimenting with numerous types of percussion instruments. While there were many experiences I had in Tanzania that changed my life, this experience shaped my understanding of sounds, rhythm, and the desire to create my own sound in my live performances and recordings. It was an incredibly rich experience that still has an influence on my sound. In 2014, my comrades and sistas in the struggle and I started Black Womyn Rising.
We held a 2-day protest and event that amplified the voices of survivors of interpersonal and state violence. We also honored Black women and femmes who did not survive these horrendous acts of violence. We then fed the community, offered resources, and made it known that we were here. This work was affirming because I too am a survivor. This work is not only important because of my experience but because I will not be the last person to experience it. We are not free until all of us are and this includes ALL Black women and femmes. As a radical, Black feminist, my desire to do this work became less about my experiences and more about the collective state of Black women and femmes.
I had been on a journey to free myself, question, and deconstruct everything I’ve ever come to know. And with a more refined understanding of who I was, this work saved me and continues to save me. Currently, I am the Co founder and Executive Director of Say Her Name Coalition, a small collective in Baltimore. The focus of SHNC is to disrupt oppressive systems while fighting for the visibility, autonomy, and livelihood of Black women and femmes. After the untimely death of 19-year old Oluwatoyin Salau, my comrade and I organized a protest to stand in solidarity with Black women and femme survivors in Baltimore.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
In the words of Lucille Clifton, “Come celebrate with me that every day something has tried to kill me and has failed.” One of the struggles that I’ve faced is definitely feeling disconnected and not included. It is my job to disrupt. I do not know this life without being an advocate for my personal truth.
There came a pivotal time for me when I realized that I was not interested in having a seat at another person’s table more so, I was much more interested in creating my own. It’s very easy to get sidetracked by what everyone else around you is doing. Folks want to be in an “in crowd” but if the ethics and principles don’t align with you, how long will you continue to fool yourself? I am not excited about included if it means compromising who I am.
Being praised by many is not a desire of mine. I’m quite fine with not settling when I know what I truly deserve.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am most proud of events I have been able to curate as they speak to the kinds of spaces I have always wanted to see. I enjoy being in robust production mode. My tribute shows and live performances are what I look forward to. I love the late rehearsals, the way my band and I create the canvas for the experience for our viewers, it just drives me into ascension. And when we are on stage, connecting, inviting the audience into our soul, it’s an unmatched feeling, like wow, getting chills just thinking of it.
What sets me apart from others is my ability to thrive in multiple spaces and produce abundance. People always say “Jack of all trades is a master of none.” Though they often forget about the end of that saying which says “Jack of all trades, is a master of one but oftentimes better than a master of none.” I’ve been able to thrust into the thick of multiple projects, artist it’s endeavors and deliver phenomenal results and this is because I value multiplicity. I love flexing my creative pioneer Aries spirit . I am infinite, I am abundant and the universe provides me with all that I need.
Articles and links to some of my work:
My personal website is https://www.amorousebony.
I say her name work website is https://www.
A few links to articles I’ve been featured in/interviews;
https://song.link/i/1462611321
Amorous Ebony is a musician, performing artist, youth art instructor, and radical activist centering her work around the freedom, sensuality, and self-expression of Black Womyn and girls. Focusing on the marginalization, brutalization, and disparagement of Black womyn and femmes; Amorous Ebony has become a consistent leader of rallies and protests in alignment with the Say Her Name movement to rail against the culture of misogynoir pervading our society today.
Amorous Ebony has curated staple events like Black Girl Glitter, Adorning with Amorous, and The Bruja Series that anchor her ideals to real work and transformative experiences for participants. In Black Girl Glitter, participants share in art performances from like-minded Black Femme artists and performers to confine in a culture where inherent beauty is celebrated and revered. In Adorning With Amorous, the artist takes a hands-on approach to honor traditions of personal embellishment to reinforce the divinity of Black womyn and girls. And with The Bruja Series, Amorous Ebony leads a discussion between presenters and participants on the rich cultural history of Black womyn and religious traditions outside of the Judeo-Christian norm.
In 2014, Amorous Ebony and 6 Black women formed the collective Black Womyn Rising to amplify the voices of Black women and girls who have suffered injustices from police brutality and interpersonal violence. In leading events like Natasha’s Jubilee and Rekia’s Rally, she has become a trusted voice in the fight to dismantle white supremacy in our most vulnerable populations. Amorous holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Urban Arts from Coppin State University. Amorous Ebony’s work has been highlighted in media outlets like WYPR, Mic, The Baltimore Sun, The Baltimore Beat, Baltimore Magazine, Bmore Art, and more.
With years of experience in cultivating spaces of spiritual empowerment and body positivity for Black Womyn, she fosters growth and healing in the face of rampant misogyny. Further, in her years-long work as an art instructor of African Folklore and Theatre for children in grades K-8, she continues to bolster a new generation of self-actualized and empowered Black Women
What makes you happy?
I am happy when I am traveling, shopping, and spending time alone. I enjoy delving deep into self-care. I have been feeling good about saying no lately. Prioritizing my time for things that nourish my spirit only is the key.
Contact Info:
- Email: bookamorous@gmail.com
- Website: amorousebony.com
- Instagram: @amorousebony @itsmrcharming
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgkAupf3AOf0UHxCGaqh1Kw
- SoundCloud: https://open.spotify.com/artist/511aqwEIUBT6e124eQH7BL
- Other: sayhernamecoalition.com
Image Credits
@richrocketmedia, @schaunchampion, and Meshach
