Color Girls

The She’s In Color campaign features a photo installment that shares the stories of women who are working every day to inspire and empower others. These women are the faces of the She’s In Color movement.

Marissa Kendrick
Fashion and Jewelry Designer / Owner of DeleayLashay

“I have always been surrounded by art; I started oil painting when I was 11 years old. I am enthusiastic about art in general. I am highly involved in charity work involving battered women and children, as well as poverty and teen girls. My goal is to empower women around the world through my expressions of art and design.”

Tasheara Neshell
Celebrity Makeup Artist

“I am resilient. I’ve watched myself grow from a young girl to a young lady and now a woman who holds no regrets for my growing pains. What makes me unique is that I am comfortable with my humility and self-endurance that have allowed me to reach this point in my life. Being a woman allows me to inspire others simply by giving back to who I once was, a young lady and a girl. There are more young ladies in the world who are searching for that ground mark to womanhood, anxiously waiting to take-off full speed in hopes of owning that feeling of liberation and accomplishment that every woman feels when she has reached her peak. How do I know? Because I was her, even at 23 years old. For me, being a woman is 30 percent my career and 70 percent my character.”

Shannon Holbert
Founder of Sherill E. Holbert Scholarship for Remarkable Young Woman Scholarship Program

“I come from a strong and caring lineage of faithful, patient, giving and loving individuals. Likewise, I am genuine and kind. I love being a woman! I can celebrate my size 14 curves and break the stereotypes that are out there about curvy women. We are intelligent, motivated powerhouses. We obtain leadership positions in our work  places and juggle our home lives at the same time.”

Natalie King
Ph.D Candidate in Neuroscience / Johnson  Products Gentle Treatment Model & Brand Ambassador

“I love being able to express myself creatively in my dress and my attitude but still be taken seriously because of what I have accomplished and still have yet to accomplish. As a young woman of color and a scientist, my work in the area of depression is really impactful because what I do daily adds to the larger body of knowledge and helps with future treatments for psychiatric disorders affecting people all over the world, including people of color. I hope I inspire women to not just achieve academically but also have a social conscience. Volunteering and giving back in whatever way appropriate for you, at any stage in life, is always a step in the right direction.”

Judith Ruiz-Branch
News Writer at WGN / Multimedia Journalist / Freelance Model

“Beauty for me has never been mainstream – it’s the quirky, edgy, hard, soft and everything in between. I believe the most beautiful people in the world are the ones who cannot be identified by one race or culture. The mixture of cultures, races and color is the most beautiful thing to me. And to know God touched and created it all … nothing is more beautiful than that. When I see beauty, I see confidence, uniqueness, vibrancy, strength, history and culture. I personally empower women by being a great example of what a woman should be. Mistakes and all, I still carry myself as a beautiful woman should. So, I would like to say that I do my best to empower women on a daily basis, but I have to admit that I fall into the unhealthy behavior as well. But I think each of us who participated in the She’s In Color campaign is definitely taking a big step in the right direction to empower each other, and women as a whole.”

Zanah Thirus
17-year-old Marketing Communications Major / Senior at Columbia College Chicago

“Beauty, to me, is anything that separates you from the crowd. Women who embrace who they are without comparing themselves to others are absolutely beautiful to me. I personally empower women through my lifestyle. I never thought it was okay for a woman to be thrown into a category or objectified. Women can be whoever they want. We can live however we want. We can make decisions for ourselves, and we deserve to be treated equally. I don’t believe in gender superiority or that a woman has a specific ‘place.’ I support and respect women who are executives, serve in the military, practice medicine, etc. Women who don’t take no for an answer are my biggest inspirations.”

Asjhra Harper
Executive Producer for “The PWithers Experience” on WVON 1690AM / Spokesmodel for Conjure Cognac and Atlantico / Radio/Television Personality / Motivational Speaker / Philanthropist / Image Consultant for JH’RAMOINYE

“Beauty is defined by the makeup of a woman and the many elements a woman possesses. Beauty exemplifies a woman’s noble character, humility and diligent heart. It is an unfailing presence and is marked when it’s graced … beauty has to be attained and takes hard work. A woman striving every day to exemplify these qualities is beautiful. Women are empowered by the many roles I take on and the accomplishments I’ve achieved. Faith is birthed in my spirit and inspires women because they actually see another woman living her life according to faith. Women are inspired to birth that same faith in them, so they tap into their unique talents and qualities to overachieve and accomplish the unthinkable. My purpose is empowering women to be icons for their own purposes. Many women don’t know or understand their place on this earth. The most incredible feminine creation is a woman. Beauty is an empowered woman, and I set out to show women how to possess those hidden qualities.”

Cassandra C. Smith
CEO & Founder of PREMIERE Models, Inc. / Freelance Fashion Coordinator / Mentor & Presenter for REACH Leadership for Girls Swag & Substance Mentoring Workshop

“Finding beauty in ourselves is really simple, because in all cases it comes very naturally. My definition of beauty is being yourself. We are all beautiful and unique: It’s one of the only things in life that we do not have to practice to perfect. When we fail to be ourselves, we are cheating ourselves and the world. I came to this realization during a church service one day. My pastor (Dr. Horace E. Smith) said, ‘Your life is not your own; you have a responsibility to your community.’ Then it hit me: I am blessing someone by being myself. When I am not myself, someone is missing out on a blessing. I found that I have several passions and abundant opportunities to share myself with the world. I now make a conscious effort to empower not only women, but all people – whether I am complimenting someone’s outfit, commending someone’s work, offering someone a smile or one of my cheesy jokes (I have several). I want someone’s day to improve because of something I said or did.”