Ebony Anglers Blaze a Path for Black Women in Competitive Fishing
What do small business ownership and competitive fishing have in common? A fierce entrepreneurial spirit – one that empowers the Ebony Anglers to make waves, both in their careers and on the water. In June 2020, Gia Wilkerson Peebles visited Beaufort, North Carolina, during the town’s annual Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament. The excitement around the event energized her, but she quickly noticed a lack of women of color among the competitors. Gia, owner of The Aura Galleria Salon and Boutique, returned to Durham and approached fellow business owners Lesleigh Mausi, Glenda Turner, Bobbiette Palmer and Tiana Ives Davis with an idea to start a competitive women’s fishing team. “Each woman said yes, and the Ebony Anglers were born,” Gia says. “Each of us has varied fishing experience,” says Bobbiette, who owns Socialotus, a branding and marketing company. “Some of us hadn’t fished since childhood, while others have fished recreationally with their families through the years.” The team marked its one-year anniversary of competing together in a special way this past June: by entering the same Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament that inspired Gia to form the team.
