Dr. Ebony is an Associate Professor and Field Director of Social Work for Ohio Dominican University. Dr. Ebony is the former Assistant Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the College of Allied Health at the University of Cincinnati (UC). She was also an Associate Professor of Social Work at UC. She serves as the First Black Woman President of the ACLU of Ohio. In addition, she is the former Vice-President of the National Association of Social Workers. Dr. Ebony advocates for LGBTQ+ rights, criminal justice reform, and child welfare reform. Also, she is a sought-after motivational speaker for her candid talks on the dynamics and issues facing black women and girls in America.
Dr. Speakes-Hall is a Warner Music Group Global DEI Institute faculty member, collaborating with top DEI experts worldwide. The Warner Music Group Global DEI Institute is the first in the music industry. The Global DEI Institute is centered around the following pillars: education, innovation, culture, social impact, and research. In addition, she provides content expertise and professional development opportunities to staff in the United States, Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, and Australia.
Dr. Ebony is a member of the Advisory Council for the Katie Geneva Cannon Center for Womanist Leadership (KGCCWL) at Union Presbyterian Seminary, recognizes the significance of centering Black women’s scholarship and wisdom as viable sources and resources for theological education and the broader global community. The mission of KGCCWL is to nurture the soul work of Black women to cultivate new pathways to whole communities. The vision of KGCCWL is to become the premier catalyst illuminating and embodying womanist theory and practice around the globe. The six high-priority initiatives – womanist wellness, wisdom, witness, worship, wares, and works – represent the holistic interconnections that make womanist leadership possible.
Ebony Speakes-Hall completed her Doctorate in Clinical Social Work at the University of Philadelphia, PA. Her research explored “Situational Risks Factors Associated with Child Sexual Abuse in the Black Church and the Interventions to Keep Black Children Safe.” She also holds a Master of Science in Social Administration from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. In 2006, she received her Master of Divinity Degree in Theology from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University in Richmond, VA. In 2003, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Biblical Studies from Cincinnati Christian University in Cincinnati, OH.