Eboni is a well-established and influential member of the Trans POC community in the Upstate, as well as a veteran entertainer. Professionally known as Eboni Sinklair, and affectionately known in her community as “Mama Eb”, Eboni has competed in and won several major pageants including Miss Pride International, Miss Black Continental and Miss National Queen of Queens.

Her deep understanding of existing racial barriers in the Upstate led her to start focusing on breaking those barriers back in the early 1990s. At the time, Greenville had two gay bars, the “black” New Attitude Club and the “white” Castle – and it was widely understood that if you were welcome at one, you were not welcome at the other. While Eboni was the show director and bar manager at New Attitude, she competed for the “Miss Castle” title at the Castle. In 2005, due to her sustained outreach efforts and natural talent, she became the first Trans Person of Color to manage and show direct at the historically white Castle.

Recognizing the enormous need for assistance and education in the Trans POC community, Eboni began to volunteer at AIDUPSTATE and under the leadership of Maurice Adair, received DHEC and CDC certifications to become a facilitator. She also, singularly and with no community or other financial support, founded “The Ladies Room” – a support group for Transwomen of Color to speak freely and safely about their daily struggles, survival and other topics they simply could not discuss anywhere else. The group that started with 3 women now has up to 18 packed in Eboni’s kitchen, making home cooked meals while talking about all and everything in the safety of real community.

Throughout her journey, Eboni has developed relationships with many Allies outside of the POC Trans community in an ongoing effort to obtain knowledge to bring back home and share. She also still puts on shows to provide a way for people to earn money, knowing firsthand the difficulty of securing a job and making decent income as a Transwoman POC.

Eboni’s mission is to continue to fight her fight, and to continue to have uncomfortable conversations, until real and lasting change occurs.