Meet Ama

My mother’s tubes were tied seven years before she conceived me. I’ve never been one for barriers…img_9723

I will use You Are The Truth as a vehicle to share my experiences of these and more in pursuit of my best and highest Self, yet loving myself as I am along the way.

I live in awe and appreciation of the millions of permutations of life, lives, and creation. I celebrate the stories of those bold enough to live, survive, and share. I present my Self and share my truth; may you be empowered to share your truth, too.

I am an initiated priestess in the Ifa/Orisha/Yoruba spiritual practice. In this role, I serve as a diviner, medium, healer, spiritual consultant, writer and professional speaker.

I was baptized in the the Southern Baptist church as a child, and struggled through adolescence to find a grounding for my natural spiritual gifts — often ignored, or shunned as “unclean”. I began to develop an intimate relationship with Spirit in college, but after graduation I received a chance 3-month fellowship to work in Mozambique with CARE International. It was during this voyage that “God got bigger”.

I continued on into advanced academic study, but admittedly never quite fit in with the rigorous culture. I was always the yellow sundress lost in a sea of black suits, but whoever says that non-traditional spiritual work is a viable career?! So by day, I prepared for the office job of my dreams (oxymoron, right?). But in my spare time, I dove deeper into my newly awakened passion for African culture. I also became a scholar of indigenous & tribal world religions, specifically powered by the desire to find the divine feminine acknowledged and exalted — a desire that went unmet in the Church.

That search was answered in 2010, when I was introduced to the Ifa/Orisha spiritual tradition. I received ilekes the same year, and was initiated into the mysteries of Obatala in 2012 by Chief Moremi Iyanifa Oshun Monife Balewa. Iya Monife, also an elder diviner, taught me the art form of cowrie shell divination; she and the orisha gave their blessings for me to divine for the general public in 2014.

As a storyteller, my memoirs, lectures and workshops focus on celebrating the vulnerable and lifelong process of personal development, everyday spirituality, sexuality, diversity and divine femininity. My work has been featured on Medium, For Harriet, The HuffPost, and my personal blog, YouAreTheTruth. I have also spoken publicly at Sex Down South (Atlanta), PechaKucha (Atlanta & Orlando), and Nerd Nite (Orlando).

Academically, I an alumnus of the Jackie Robinson Foundation, and an inaugural Rachael Robinson International Fellow. I received my MBA in 2010 from Florida A&M University. I am a former adjunct lecturer for Georgia State University.

I continue to study divergent spiritual practices. This ongoing exploration of spirituality, along with my diverse and practical life experiences, has become a foundation of my spiritual ministry, offering support that is professional, accessible, and down-to-earth.

15 thoughts on “Meet Ama”

  2. Hello my name is Danielle Walker . I have recently read your article about dating a white. I am the founder of Racism Lives Here at the University of Missouri. I am currently engaged to a white man. I would love to discuss more the intersectionality of the black strong woman image and the cultural clash of being with a white man. Especially leading such a public movement. I have not found a venue where I can discuss the pressures of maintaining ” black love” and being an activist for my community. Hope I hear from you.

    In power,
    Danielle

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      1. Hi Ama, probably not the best place to inform you about this but after reading your article about dating a white man I decided to scroll through your site a bit. Here I discovered that both your ABOUT-page and your HIRE ME-page give a message that says “OOOOPS, something went wrong”. Especially impractical for the HIRE ME-page I should think.

        Loved your article by the way, made me cry…

        Regards, Ewout.

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  3. You’re the wind beneath my wings! I read your article about you dating a White guy and I want you to know that I’m a huge fan of your’s now. Wow you were really brave for going against the grain and dating outside of your race. I’m a White guy from rural North Carolina, and I have rebelled against my conservative, religious upbringing. I can say that conservative White people on the East Coast, West Coast, The North, or the South do not appreciate my thoughts and ideas on racial, environmental, and socioeconomic justice. I live 30 min from San Francisco, CA and I have vowed to fight racism in a head on battle through discussion, debate, and education. DISCUSS! DEBATE! EDUCATE!

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  4. Earth, wind, fire and water, you are all woman and your work is deeply appreciated…….love, peace and joy……you are a guide to remind us that happiness is already us and our lives come to show us that…..

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