Ebony M. Tutora is a Certified Holistic Life Coach, Motivational Speaker, Intuitive Healer, and the founder behind the holistic empowerment brand Queens Recognize Queens®. She is a powerhouse of thought, light, and love, offering revolutionary insight into how changing ourselves little by little, IS the change we wish to see. After encountering childhood trauma, and then her “God-moment,” of being raped and held captive- Ebony became a champion of teaching how all things in life happen FOR you.
Ebony has been sharing the methods that have allowed her to thrive as a champion of life, and over time turn her pain not only into power.. but into PEACE. Her passion comes in giving women the much-needed tools and perspectives to shift their lives into gear of living up to their fullest potential.
Ebony strives to be a voice to black mental health and wellness by leading workshops on trauma for the United Way, NAACP, and through her connections of other practitioners in the mental health field.
Her goal is to impact women in ways that allow them to be change-agents in their own lives while sharing the beauty of who they are (in wholeness) with the world. Ebony has been featured in YV Mag, Voyage LA, The Good Quote, The Great Girlfriends, and more!
Ebony Tutora
Photo Credit: Yohance Bailey Photography
Tammy Reese: Describe yourself in 3 words?
Ebony Tutora: Whew. In three words I’d use to describe me? Intuitive, Resilient, and Faith-Filled.
Tammy Reese: What inspired you to create Queens Recognize Queens?
Ebony Tutora: I was inspired by a combination of many things. The name itself was derived out of coming to a place in life where I could not connect with women on a deeper level, and missing that connection, it inspired me to do something about it. After living in NYC for a few years, I had developed beautiful, soulful relationships with women.
After moving back Upstate for personal reasons, I had grown to miss this authentic connection, in sisterhood. So I created it. The name also alludes to the fact that if you are not healed within yourself, you cannot honor and appreciate other women. Period.
So, once you choose to heal your stuff, honor yourself, and to love yourself- you can then look at other women and appreciate them, rather than allow yourself to be jealous, envious, or hateful, in any way. Queens Recognize Queens! Also, when a woman hears of herself as a Queen… her body language literally shifts. There’s real gold found in that.
Tammy: What does women empowerment mean to you?
Ebony: Women empowerment should take on a facelift of really meaningful sisterhood. It’s the ability to hold your sister’s hand, support her, uplift her, create space for her, and allow her to be her most authentic self in your presence.
Women are doing amazing things out here in these streets, and the ones that are not afraid to turn around and pass the baton- are the women who truly understand empowerment and sisterhood.
Tammy: In your experience, why is it vital to advocate for mental health awareness in the Black communities?
Ebony: In my experience, and just being a witness to the healing community, mental health awareness is allowing us to liberate ourselves from self-imposed cages, as well as cages that others have forced upon us. We are stepping into new levels of healing deep traumas of unworthiness.
In our communities we must change the dynamic of how we view mental health, so we can literally save, empower, and uplift future generations to come. Because of the many inequalities we face, mental health allows us to take the power back into our own hands, by diving into healthier ways of being, so we can experience healthier ways of thinking. Mental health is the key to us reclaiming who we REALLY are- ROYALTY.
Tammy: What are some stigmas of mental health that you are passionate about eliminating?
Ebony: Well, the biggest thing with mental health is the shame that we carry around it. Because we DON’T talk about it, and maybe even in the Black/Brown community made it essentially taboo… We have allowed ourselves to feel ashamed of experiencing mental illness. When in fact more people suffer from it in silence and block their ability to get the help they need. We have to see it as a signal that we are out of alignment with God’s purpose for us, and bigger than that, we have to see it as an opportunity to end our internal suffering. Widely most people simply carry the shame of it, as if it makes them unhuman or something. When in reality it demonstrates your ability to FEEL the realness of life, and then once you decide to heal, you can step into greater levels of understanding yourself and how/why you were in that depressive state to begin with. Mental Health should be the standard, and necessary part of our lives, so we can reconnect the mind, body, and soul- the holy trinity of how we operate while on this earth.
Tammy: When you think of the word “healing” what comes to mind?
Ebony: OMG! When for me… it makes me happy. It’s my space of genius. To me, healing is the power to let go, forgive, and to make peace with energies, thoughts, and experiences that no longer serve your greatest good. For others, it’s a word packed with so much negative stigma, that people will literally spend their lives running from the truth. Healing gives us the space to be human, and to see how things have affected us, as well as the power to take our power back… here, and NOW.
Tammy: As a healer what types of services do you offer your clients?
Ebony: I offer group coaching, as well as 1:1 Services. For those that need clarity, they tend to book a reading with me, in which I use a melanated tarot deck, and my powers to tap into the energy and to see where you may be blocked. But, these sessions offer a tip of the iceberg of what I really do in 1:1 sessions, as well as group sessions. My practice focuses on teaching people about where energy stops flowing freely from the bad experiences in our life. I teach them how to gain clarity around why they are the way that they are, as well as helping them to deal with things they never speak of out-loud. I recently launched the 7 days of Clarity- a breakthrough program to teach how to reconnect the mind, body, and soul using chakras. My signature program, Returning to Your Throne, is an upgrade of the 7 days of clarity, as I help to tie in mindset, tactics, and elevation techniques.
Tammy: What do you love most about the work that you do?
Ebony: Wow! I really love it all. But, most of all it’s seeing the glow and transformation in my clients. To see them letting go, learning, then reporting back to me their growth… it’s truly priceless.
Tammy: You have made an impact in many women’s lives. What women in your life impacted the work that you do today?
Ebony: First and foremost it’s my Grandmother. She’s the shadow behind the whole “Queen” thing. Growing up she was so well-poised, graceful, and soft-spoken. But, in the same breath she was confident, strong, and faith-filled like none other. You know, people always used to say “What would Jesus do?” Well for me, it was “What would Nona (my grandma) do?” She taught me so much about self-respect, having morals, and the power of believing in myself. I have many others to thank like my aunt, mom, or female teachers that took me under their wings, but grandma gets the crown.
Tammy: What advice would you give to anyone who may not feel their mental health is in the best space during these unprecedented times?
Ebony: The first thing they should know is that it’s normal to feel pressure during these times. Many people take out their trash, but how many REALLY clean the bottom of the trash bin? To me, that’s mental health. You can do certain things to stay above water, and pretend to be OK, but you definitely need to get to the root of why you feel what you feel? Are you feeling lonely, insecure, overly anxious, worried, etc. Emotions are like detour signs, or green lights, that simply show us where most of our thoughts reside. Maybe during this time you’ve realized how negative you really are, or maybe that your faith is not as strong as you thought it was. Just like everything around us, we are meant to expand. So when we stay the same for too long, we are literally going against the biology of who we are. I think more people should consider looking through “spiritual eyes” for greater meaning, and allow themselves to step into unknown areas of self, God, and higher thought. It creates a sense of freedom, understanding, and peace that many of us need right now.
More on Queens Recognize Queens HERE.
