April 2006: Ebony Jackson
	Age: 32 Location: California Occupation: Writer/Actress Status: Single Children: Expecting first child!! Ebony Jackson exudes diva style. Currently a travel and leisure writer for Los Angeles Family Magazine, Ebony is embarking on several exciting adventures. The first is motherhood (she's expecting a baby boy in August!). The second is enterprenuership. Ebony is launching her own line of upscale baby apparel. Ambitious, insightful and grounded, this divasoulsista is going places.
1. What is your biggest accomplishment? Helping my mother kick breast cancer's ass! 2. Name your favorite movie. I define favorite as a movie that's always near my DVD and VHS player (yes, I still have VHS)and that I watch even while I'm cleaning, writing or fighting insomnia. They're the equivalent of comfort food for me. I actually prefer old radio detective classics like Sam Spade, Michael Shayne, Casey Crime Photograper, etc., but to answer your question, as far as movies go, the movie spin offs of the radio classics like Thin Man, Maltese Falcon and Charlie Chan are tops. 3. Describe your personal diva style. Do your thing and to hell what anyone else thinks (within reason). They're usually wrong anyway. 4. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? Cut up your credit cards, live simply and respect money. I have ZERO consumer debt because of this. 5. You look mah-valous! What is your secret?? For the exterior, I actually lost the "freshman 15" that I gained my senior year in high school! I did this by walking at 5:30 am every morning (that way the student athletes training wouldn't see me struggling to finish a couple of laps on the track.) I drank almost a gallon of water a day - which always kept me full, and cut out processed foods. Then, my skin started to glow and I was able to run all the way to class -if I were late- and not be out of breath! I was so proud of that that I started competing in fitness competitions. The interior makeover took a little longer, I had an unhealthy relationship with money (debt) and my career choice (journalism). Then, I met THE most wonderful mentor, Professor William H. Mackey(rip), when I moved to New York. He's right up there with John Henrike Clarke and Dr. Josef ben-Jochannan (or "Dr. Ben"). He really helped me to use money wisely and to "recover" from my formal studies at university. By that, I mean he introduced me to books, lectures, history, renaissance elders and geechee culture. I'm misty-eyed right now just typing this to you. He so impacted my life. He straightened me out. I still have ways to go but he gave me a phenomenal foundation. 6. What's one dream you look forward to having come true? Well, you know I'm 5 months pregnant. And if you'd asked me this question 5 months, one day ago I would have said to be a staff writer for an episodic show. Now, I look forward to a healthy son come August and my own upscale, baby clothing import business (still jumping through hoops on that one). 7. If a movie were made about your life, what actress would play you and who would be your leading man? Hmm...I'm going to think outside the box here. I admire Sophia Okonedo, but I love Dame Judi Dench, Maggie Smith and Myrna Loy. These women have (had) a wicked wit, style, timelessness and RANGE. Leading men, Dick Powell. My all-time favorite actor. It's my movie, right? 8. What 3 adjectives would your best friend use to describe you? Curious, open-minded and restless. 9. What makeup/beauty essential can you absolutely positively not live without? MAC blush, Mabelline mascara (you know the green and pink tube!) and Chanel nude lipstick (my one splurge) 10. What's playing on your CD or MP3 player right now? Bebel Gilberto's The Girl from Ipanema 11. What is one thing you wish more people knew about you? I don't take shortcuts where my health and money are concerned. Simple equations never go out of style. Save more and spend less. Burn more calories than you consume. 12. What, in your opinion, is the formula for success? For me, it's curiosity coupled with action. I'm always taking a class, reading the dust jacket of a book I wouldn't think I was interested in or learning a language. Just do something! It's okay if you fail or change your mind later. Just move. For example, I can't speak Japanese but I can read Katakana/Hiragana. Enough to browse through graphic novels and shop at Mitsuwa, a Japanese grocery store. And that's as far as I want to go with that language right now. I'm done, on to something else. 13. What motivates you? It used to be that old standby called fear. Now it's my baby. 14. Complete this sentence: "One year from now I would like to..." be on a first-class flight to Japan or Korea to look for baby-clothing merchandise to sell back in the States after accepting a Nicholl's fellowship. <smile> 15. Sum up your personal philosophy. There's a book for everything. But common sense is king (or queen). Want to find out how to become DivaSoulSista of the Month? Click here.

Previous DivaSoulSista of the Month
Lisa Moten: DivaSoulSista (January 2006)
Shelia Chadwick: DivaSoulSista (February 2006)
Kali-Ahset Amen: DivaSoulSista (March 2006)