Ebonee Davis, Model + Founder + Poet
Instagram: @eboneedavis
What moment has defined your journey the most?
The moment that defined my journey the most is the moment I decided to wear my natural hair despite receiving backlash from my agency and facing the possibility of losing my clients. For me this was my first step in my journey toward authenticity and self liberation which will ultimately lead me to do a Ted Talk, speaking on countless panels, and positioning myself as a leading figure in the fashion industries fight for inclusion. Not only that, it would lead me back to Africa as part as part of my journey of self discovery, and that trip would inspire me to create an organization called Daughter that since has returned 13 African descendants back to the continent. What began with something that some may consider trivial, hair, transformed into a movement and my personal quest for freedom became the catalyst for my fight to free my family and my community and everyone around me.
What drives you?
Above all else I am driven by God and God is love. It was. own self-love that gave me strength to continue walking in my truth even in the face of backlash, and it is the same love which propels me forward and informs my decision making every day.
How are you paving the way for people in your community to succeed? Or opening doors that were once closed?
It is my goal that through the work I do people in my community know that it’s safe to be themselves and through that become empowered as individual and unique expressions of God. So I walk in my truth unapologetically I’m giving others permission to do the same.
Most meaningful project to date?
My most meaningful project to date is found in my nonprofit organization Daughter which provides scholarships for African descendants to return to the motherland and reconnect with their ancestors and their history.
Advice or a mantra you would like to pass on?
When you are aligned with your truth, you won’t miss out on what was meant for you. But you will miss out trying to be someone or something you’re not.
