A presentation by Danielle Ellis

Thursday, March 23, 7 – 8 pm

Danielle Ellis will present a talk on queer spirituality. She wants to counter the homophobia and transphobia that is rampant in multiple spiritual paths. She’s bringing her research to help those feel at home when they first felt ostracized. She will share why queer and trans people are divinely important.

Danielle Ellis is an Oak Cliff native always ready to share her love of the arts with everyone at a moment’s notice be it painting live or holding workshops. Her art education came from her parents, summer workshops at the South Dallas Cultural Center, attending Booker T. Washington High School of the Performing and Visual Arts and later The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC). Her mission since a young age has always been to bring the Arts to the people.

As a spiritualist/minister honed in ATR, her first priority is to heal. She has established altars and taught many to tap into their divine selves. Her biggest public work is an ancestor altar that was the base of her solo show Mother in 2019 which had an extended stay in J. Erik Jonsson Library. There she invited people of all backgrounds to pray and share personal histories at the very active altar honoring African Americans in Dallas, Texas. This large altar was draped in fabric of deep blues and had 50lb of pure white cowrie shells as offering.

As an activist she spoke often about the importance of our Black Townships and advocated for the rights of the citizens of Sandbranch, Texas. Her initiative Mermaids Bring Water took part in providing clean water to the area. During the Winter Storm of 2021, the organization distributed 150 cases of water to the communities in desperate need. Mermaids continue to be a watch group and advocate raising the alarm of the scarcity of clean water. Clean Water is a Right.