We had the good fortune of connecting with Ebony Gilbert and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ebony, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?

When I started Dirt-Stained Roses, I wanted to create a space for marginalized communities, voices, and stories. Our company produces film, TV, books, and stage plays committed to innovation, visibility, and social justice.

But what I’m most proud of are our initiatives. Dirt-Stained Roses has launched the DSR Scholarship Program, Internship & Mentorship Initiative, DSR Reading Program, and a Screenwriting Program.

My hope is that people are inspired to create platforms that will elevate and transform communities.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

My work highlights the experiences of those who are often overlooked or overshadowed. For example, I had the privilege of writing a graphic novel about jazz singer Billie Holiday. It was an opportunity to share Billie’s very complex and inspiring journey—what she endured and what she accomplished at a time when women, particularly Black women, did not have as much agency. Exploring a new art form was also eye-opening and inspired me to spread my wings as an artist.

I did that again when I co-directed and produced my first documentary–ifine. I traveled to Africa for the first time to explore the skin bleaching epidemic that was impacting young people in Kono in Sierra Leone. It was the most transformative experience of my life, and the bravery of those teens opened not only my eyes but also the hearts of audiences worldwide. Our film went on to win Best Short Documentary at the Pan African Film Festival, Freetong Film Festival, Morehouse Human Rights Film Festival, San Antonio Black International Film Festival, SIMA Awards, and was nominated for Best Documentary at the Africa Movie Academy Awards and Outstanding Short Doc at the 2024 NAACP Image Awards. It is by far the project I am most proud of, and I am forever grateful to my talented team, including co-director Adisa Septuri, editor and producer Alex Ivany, cinematographer Antonio Cisneros, music composer Raashi Kulkarni, and graphic designer Kamali Gilbert.

Getting to where I am today has not been easy but definitely a necessary journey. I was born and raised in Miami, Florida, and in particular, Little Haiti. Little Haiti is considered Miami’s poorest, most violent, and most dangerous community. Writing became my way of making sense of my very complex environment. After all, growing up, I was teased for my very thick “country” accent, and writing became my safe place.

While most of my teachers saw my future in writing, I had one teacher who doubted it–who doubted me. He accused me of plagiarizing. He said, “Girls like you, don’t write like this.” Years later, that same teacher apologized to me because, by the time I was a senior in high school, I had a column in the Miami Herald where I would write about disenfranchised communities. I went on to the University of Florida, and everyone assumed I would pursue journalism, but after being introduced to writers like James Baldwin and Zora Neale Hurston, I was obsessed! I took every course I could on Black literature and African-American History and ended up with a degree in African American Studies and English. As graduation approached, I contemplated the next chapter. My best friend, Jacqueline Desperoux, sat me down and asked me a question that shaped the rest of my life. She asked, “If you had no obstacles, what would you do with your life?” I thought back to when I was writing short stories as a little girl, newspaper articles as a teenager, and academic papers as a college student. And I decided to continue telling stories about marginalized communities, but I wanted to reach a greater audience. I figured that film and TV could be the platforms for that. So she said, “Okay, apply to the top screenwriting programs.” I was taken aback because I had no experience writing a screenplay. But I gave it a shot and wrote Dirt-Stained Roses– my first screenplay. I was so inexperienced that I wrote it in Microsoft Word, but to my surprise, I got into every program I applied to, including Loyola Marymount University.

But there’s a twist in the story. I thought my head was in the clouds and thought, “Girls from where I’m from don’t get MFAs in Screenwriting.” And for the first time, just like that one teacher doubted me, I started doubting myself. And I did not go. Instead, I went back to Miami and began working as an interventionist. I had students who were in gangs, students who were pregnant, and students who never saw the world beyond our neighborhood. But after working with them, their academic careers turned around, and one day, the principal asked me what my secret was. I told her I didn’t have one. “All I am doing is telling them they can pursue any dream they desire.” But as soon as those words escaped my mouth, I felt like a hypocrite because I wasn’t pursuing my dreams. So, I gained the courage to call LMU and ask them, “Can I still come?” And to my surprise, they said, “Yes, we held your spot.” I moved to LA with $100, one suitcase, and a mission, and that’s to tell stories of marginalized people.

This has been a beautiful journey. I’ve written for TV shows, I’ve produced award-winning stage plays, written a graphic novel, and my first documentary was nominated for an NAACP Image Award. I am developing projects under my own company. But most of all, my journey can inspire those like me. Who I am and where I’m from is my brand. I hope that everyone pursues the desires within them. The dream is there for a reason!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.

The first place I would take anyone to show them the best time ever is a place that I frequent often, and that’s Leimert Park. I absolutely love the culture, the boutiques, and the restaurants. Finding a community like that was really important to me when I first moved to Los Angeles from Miami. I love picking up fresh herbs from Nappily Naturals, eating at Black-owned vegan restaurants like Simply Wholesome, and then picking up a handmade piece of art. I love history and museums, so I recommend visiting the Museum of African American Art, California African American Museum, and the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. For the perfect dinner, check out Crossroads on Melrose–it has a plant-based menu, but anyone can enjoy it. And because the weather here is always perfect, check out my favorite beach, Playa Del Rey Beach.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I would love to acknowledge my core support system. I have amazing parents and family back in Miami. My mother and brother, in particular, relocated to LA and have supported my career at every stage and phase. My brother, Kamali Gilbert, is Head of Development and Creative Exec for Dirt-Stained Roses. I also have wonderful mentors and friends I can lean on, and I am forever grateful for my tribe.

Website: www.dirt-stainedroses.com

Instagram: ebony_gilbert_one

Other: Dirt-Stained Roses IG: dsr_productions_

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