About Shades of Ebony
"Shades of Ebony is an extraordinary club in which our members challenge the stereotypes of Black women through sisterhood and service. We have candid discussions about the challenges that we and our community face while still celebrating the strides that we have made through our journey at Notre Dame. We, the beautiful ladies of Shades, hope to see you soon!"
- Former Shades of Ebony President, Erdina Francillon ('10)
Our History
Shades of Ebony began with an idea that Arienne Thompson ('04) and Terri Baxter ('05) had to create a space where African American women on Notre Dame's campus could come together and share their experiences. Shades began as a working group between a core group of women: Arienne Thompson, Terri Baxter, Shawtina Ferguson, Terrica Bentley, Tiffany Johnson. This group formed the name: Shades of Ebony.
The motto for Shades of Ebony became:
"Fostering sisterhood while helping each other retain positive self-images."
Shades was officially recognized by the University in 2002. Shawtina Ferguson was the first sitting president and Christy Flemming (now Greene) was the club's advisor. Greene remained the club advisor until 2009.