Renee Namakau Ombaba

In 2019, Renee Namakau founded Black Women in Opera (BWIO) to highlight the past and current achievements of Black women opera singers. BWIO seeks to be the premiere source of knowledge and news about Black opera divas. In the future, the organization will be instrumental in sponsoring the vocal education of high school seniors. She learned the value of strong female leadership in her home and her community at a young age. Her grandmother’s and aunt’s devotion to women’s suffrage and political advancement in Zambia sparked her interest in women’s empowerment. BWIO allows Renee Namakau to marry her love for music with her passion of uplifting women in this male-dominated field.