Last week, the son of legendary, Emmy Award-winning Jamaican American actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, made news for his handsomeness after his mother shared a photo of him on social media. Her post blew up, with thousands of women responding with a variety of suggestive comments, and news outlets sharing the story.
Despite the frivolous fanfare, Ralph’s son, whose name is Etienne Maurice, is anything but shallow.
Maurice was born in Los Angeles to Ralph and her then husband, Eric Maurice, who is Afro-European, hailing from the Ivory Coast. Etienne Maurice is 31-years-old and still lives in Los Angeles, where he is an entrepreneur, nonprofit founder, filmmaker, actor, activist, and yoga instructor.
Dedicated to using his creative passions for social change, Maurice says his mission is to build his community in the virtual and physical space through film, health, and wellness. He formed his nonprofit, WalkGood LA – one of LA’s largest wellness organizations – in 2020, after being outraged by the injustices against Black and Brown people.
“When Ahmaud Arbery was killed, I was really frustrated and anxious,” Maurice told the LA Sentinel in a 2022 interview. “He was running in his own neighborhood, he looked like me, he was doing things that I would do in my community and was murdered in the middle of the street. I was wondering why no one out there was coming together. We were in limbo trying to figure out if we should protest or stay home. Then after George Floyd [was killed] I decided I had to do something. So I’d attend other people’s protests and I felt something, but I also believed I could do it myself, I could bring people together.” These experiences, Maurice revealed, spawned the birth of WalkGood LA.
Along with social activism and art initiatives, WalkGood LA also hosts wellness activities such as runs, hikes, healing circles and yoga sessions, some led by Maurice himself. Many of these sessions see upwards of 200 people in attendance.
Maurice’s for-profit business, WalkGood Productions is an independent film and television production company that creates stories that inspire, inform, and entertain.
“At WalkGood, we pride ourselves on building communities through storytelling, telling local stories on the world stage, and growing together as filmmakers every step of the way. Our name stems from an old Jamaican proverb for integrity, character, and good fortune,” the company’s bio explains. This past weekend, WalkGood Productions wrapped the latest edition of FilmGood, its quarterly film and wellness festival for underrepresented filmmakers.
Through these projects Maurice partners with his sister, Ivy-Victoria Maurice, and cousin, Marley Ralph, to help bring healing to the community. His passion for these causes are fueled by his own pain and trauma, he says. He is open about experiencing a mental health crisis, suffering a traumatic brain injury, and surviving gun violence – in hopes of connecting with his community and helping people find liberation within their pain.
“That’s what it’s about, being able to turn your pain into purpose. It does no one any good when you sit in that pain and wallow in anger and frustration. Think about how you can be a blessing to someone and how you’re able to show gratitude for being alive,” Maurice told the LA Sentinel.
The social media buzz around Maurice’s good looks has already brought increased attention to his organization and causes, with his community growing dramatically within hours.
