Following the tragic suicide of her cousin in 2016, Ebony Lewis (formerly Haynes) began her journey to become an author and mental health advocate. Growing up in a family and community that all too often ignored the very obvious signs on mental illness and trauma she watched many relatives, friends and youth fall to the hands of mental illness due to stigmas, lack of culturally relevant and affordable resources and the persona that being strong and vulnerable were not one in the same.​ When Ebony is not writing books or spending time with her family. She works as a director for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee overseeing program initiatives throughout the city with a strong emphasis on self-esteem, personal branding, health & wellness and leadership skills. Ebony is also the proud CEO of Double Dutch to Dreams, a movement dedicated to creating a healthy community with a focus on physical and mental health.