In April 2017, my family suffered a devastating loss when my cousin Ebony was killed in a car accident. The shock of it still lingers after all these years. There is something inherently unfair about a young woman in her prime being struck down because of another’s carelessness. She was ambitious and had a bright future in the fashion world; an example to many women in her generation of working hard to achieve her goals and living life to the fullest. To honor her memory, her mother Larshell set up a scholarship fund in Ebony’s name.

Through Ebony’s Eyes is an annual fundraising gala. The funds raised are awarded in scholarship money to a college-bound young woman to help finance her education.