Esther A. Armah is the CEO of The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice (The AIEJ), a global non-profit headquartered in Accra, Ghana, with operations in South Africa, the U.S., and the U.K. She is an acclaimed author, former international award-winning journalist, and playwright.
Her book, Emotional Justice: A Roadmap for Racial Healing, became a #1 New Release on Amazon for six consecutive weeks in the General Sociology of Race Relations category. It was also named a Top 2023 Pick by Stanford Social Innovation Review and featured in the Los Angeles Review of Books.
Beyond her writing, Esther has worked as a journalist in Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, South Africa, London, New York, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. As a playwright, she has written five plays that have been performed in Accra, New York, and Chicago.
The Birth of Emotional Justice
In an interview with Just4WomenAfrica, Esther shared what inspired her to develop the Emotional Justice framework and why it is essential for racial healing. She recalled her time in South Africa during the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, led by Archbishop Desmond Tutu. While the process aimed at reconciliation, she realized that the racial healing model primarily centered on making white people feel comfortable—ensuring their security, stability, and economic well-being—while failing to address the impact of oppression on African people.
This realization led her to create a model that truly reflects the lived experiences of Africans and acknowledges the long-term emotional consequences of systemic oppression.
Esther emphasized that society often disregards and disrespects the emotional world, prioritizing policy, legislation, and politics while overlooking how emotions shape, sustain, and dismantle systems. She believes that to change something, it must first be named accurately.
The Mission of The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice
The Armah Institute of Emotional Justice is dedicated to developing resources and tools that organizations can use to transform their culture through the Emotional Justice framework. Storytelling is one of the key tools used to introduce this work and drive change.
The Evolution of Journalism in Telling Black Stories
Reflecting on the evolution of journalism, Esther explained that, in the past, a small group of people controlled the narrative about Africa, portraying the continent primarily through the lens of poverty and extraction. These stories were often told by individuals who were not from Africa, reinforcing a limited and biased perspective.
However, she noted that the landscape has changed significantly, thanks to social media. Today, Africans are taking control of their own narratives, showcasing diverse, authentic, and empowering stories about the continent from a fresh perspective.
Upcoming Projects
Esther’s next project, The Story of Your Name, will explore the significance of names in Black communities across the U.S., U.K., and beyond. The project will invite Black people to share the stories behind their names—who gave them their names and what they mean.
She is also currently working on a new book and preparing to launch an emotional short film, which will premiere in New York in April 2025.
With her groundbreaking work in Emotional Justice, Esther A. Armah continues to be a transformative voice in the global conversation on racial healing, equity, and storytelling.
