BA, Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Missouri-Columbia

Ymani joined ACD in July of 2025 as the Communications Specialist after several years as an entrepreneur and creator of The Noir Bookshop, a concept bookstore dedicated to the Black experience. She has over a decade of experience in journalism, social media management, storytelling and community building. Before opening a bookstore, Ymani spent time with brands such as Arch Grant winner Advocado, along with Ranken Technical College, Washington University in St. Louis, and several others. After experiencing housing and contract injustices, Ymani decided to join ACD in order to help educate the public on housing rights, and encourage others to fight back. Ymani is a writer, zine maker and mixed media artist, with a vision to tell Black stories, no matter how small. Born and raised in St. Louis, Ymani loves reading and her little dog, Riesling.

Fun/personal fact: I am very intrigued by celebrity and public figure family trees. I can spend hours looking up who is related to whom, and go down a rabbit hole of mess and scandal.