The Ebony Eagles are making strides for female runners and women of color. Their story is the definition of building community step by step. A Trick & Mortar original.
Running is just the start for these marathoners. They take to the streets to empower Black women to build community through a shared passion for running. The latest original from Trick & Mortar explores the bond of a soaring sisterhood called the Ebony Eagles.
Meet long-time running buddies Melissa Johnson and Debbie Smith. As the two trained together for marathons in their hometown of Charlotte, NC, they couldn’t help but notice how few women of color were doing the same. They wanted to empower black women to give running a try and share the feeling of camaraderie that had united them. So Melissa and Debbie started a running group.
The Ebony Eagles would be open to all women of color, with no membership fees, and no experience required. Good friends Colette Nichols and Corie Pauling joined the group and a running squad formed. They began to spread the word among their friends, and their numbers grew exponentially. Running all over the city, the Ebony Eagles meet every Saturday morning for a long run, rain or shine.
"There’s nothing like that exhilaration that comes from being out there and feeling my strength.Getting to that space tells me that I am worthy. I am enough. And I don’t have to justify that to anyone."
— Corie Pauling, Ebony Eagles
MORE TO THE STORY
Moms, wives, and career women.
They support each other through life’s ups and downs, giving each other strength, encouragement, and the power to push through it all…even racial injustice. No matter what the week brought, or how crazy the weather, the Ebony Eagles lace up religiously every Saturday morning to run together.
Through it all, they inspire each other to push through, run strong, and not give up.
After all, they know their children are watching, witnessing the power of women of color coming together and pursuing a common goal. As their membership grows, so does their list of accomplishments.
The group has run over two hundred marathons among them. Seventeen years in the making…these Eagles are just starting to fly. Trick & Mortar presents a new original, Ebony Eagles.
“We’re doing something for our health,but we’re doing something for our heart.”
— Debbie Smith, Co-founder, Ebony Eagles
CREDITS
FOOTY
JEFF STRONG
GARTH SUPERVILLE
DAVE GORRIE