MEET THE HOSTS
Lacette Cross and Ebony Walden are 40-something Black women interested in hearing from BIPOC women/femmes about sex, sexuality, faith and spirituality. We created this podcast from our work of interviewing women of color as part of a larger book project to help BIPOC women embrace the goodness of sexuality, connect to others through the power of story and learn how to create a sexual ethic shaped by spiritual faith.
EBONY WALDEN
Ebony Walden is an urban planner, DEI consultant and facilitator with over 15 years of experience working to transform communities. As the founder of Ebony Walden Consulting (EWC), an urban strategy firm based in Richmond, Virginia, she works with community organizations to design and facilitate trainings and processes that explore race, equity and the creation of more just and inclusive communities.
Ebony is the creator and co-editor of the RIchmond Racial Equity Essays, a multimedia project that explores racial equity in Richmond, Virginia. Ebony is also an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University where she teaches Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the City.
Ebony was a 2019-2020 Encore Public Voices Fellow, where she wrote equity focused op-eds for the Richmond Times-Dispatch and The Hill on Land Use and Affordable Housing. She has also been featured in Next City, The Richmond Times-Dispatch, Richmond Magazine, Christianity Todayand Cville Magazine and conducted workshops at local, national and international events and conferences such as Race Forward’s 2022 Facing Race Conference, SXSW and The Caux Forumin Switzerland.
Ebony holds a bachelor’s in business administration from Georgetown University and a master’s in urban and Environmental Planning from the University of Virginia.
DR. LACETTE CROSS
Rev. Dr. Lacette Cross is a womanist dedicated to helping people, doing justice, and building community. She is actively involved in the Richmond community as a faith leader, activist, speaker, and facilitator. Rev. Dr. L is well-equipped to address a variety of topics with diverse audiences such as racial equity, intersectionality, sexuality, spirituality, LGBTQ inclusion, theology, sexual ethics, gender, justice, and leadership. She has presented locally and nationally at conferences, seminars, convenings and retreats. Her wide breadth of experience encompasses that bring together the community, academy, and the church.
Dr. L is the pastor of Restoration Fellowship RVA, the co-founder and director of UGRC/Black Pride RVA, Virginia’s first Black LGBTQ pride festival weekend and the business owner of Will You Be Whole where she talks about sex and faith with Black womxn and LGBTQ folx.
Rev. Dr. Cross believes strongly in developing her leadership skills and working to improve the greater Richmond area. She has participated in fellowships and been honored for her work in the LGBTQ community and beyond. In 2018 she was a fellow in the Community Trustbuilding Fellowship and in 2019 she was an Equity+Health Fellow with the Richmond Memorial Health Foundation. Rev. L has been recognized by Equality Virginia as a 2019 OUTStanding Virginian and the YWCA as a 2020 Outstanding Woman for Human Relations and Faith in Action. Rev. Dr. Cross has a Bachelor’s of Social Work, Master of Divinity, Master of Theology and a Doctor of Ministry where her project was titled “Making Room: Womanist Healing Space for Black Womxn’s Sexual Wholeness”. In the moments that are hers, she travels, spends time with friends and enjoys good books.