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Meet Rasheera Dopson of Beauty with a Twist in Decatur

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Rasheera Dopson.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Rasheera. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’m 28 years old. I was born with two rare diseases and over the course of my life, I have had 103 surgeries. Growing up, I didn’t know anymore who look liked me or had gone through the medical challenges I had faced. I spent a lot of time in isolation because of my disability and facial difference. Struggling for the first 25 years of my life with self-esteem. I hated the fact that I had a facial difference and disability. I just wanted to be normal.

Then finally, I came to a point where I was tired of hiding my difference, I knew that deep down inside there was something beautiful about me and that somehow God wanted to use my difference/ disability to change the world. In 2016, I launched a blog series called “ Beauty with a Twist.” I started chronically my life experiences in living with a chronic health condition and disability. Writing this blog, it allowed me to open up about my medical past and really embrace my future. I no longer saw myself as a scared disabled little girl with an ugly face, but I saw my self as a beautiful woman who’s difference had the ability to change the world. In starting on this journey of self-acceptance, I was then able to connect to other individuals, children, and families who had facial differences and disabilities just like me. This turned my world upside. For the first time in my life, no longer did I feel the weight of isolation or the shame of the disability stigma, I felt proud to be different. I was honored to be a part of a community so much larger than myself.

Nevertheless, my journey in self-acceptance did not stop there. In sharing my story on my blog, an audience began to build and I realized that the writing I was doing was not only therapeutic for me but it was giving a voice to women and men who are different and not being represented in our society. From writing, I started on the path of advocacy. Advocating for people with facial differences, disabilities, and chronic illnesses. In advocating, I realized that my story was not just my own but my story was a fraction of the larger voice for disability rights and advocacy.

So now, I still write and I will actually be releasing my first book the latter end of this year, but I am also an advocate for my community. I speak to schools, medical and health organizations near and far. You may see me on Capitol Hill or even in my local state government, pushing back the tide and helping to change the way our world sees and relates to people with disabilities. I love the work that I do, I know that in sharing my story, my difference is helping to change the world.

Has it been a smooth road?
Absolutely not! And that is the most honest answer. Being an advocate is hard enough work as it is. But being an advocate who also has a disability, who is also black and who is also a woman can sometimes seem impossible. Many times some of the rooms I walk in, I’m the only one. So, it can be difficult at times to navigate and represent all of those experiences. But that is one aspect of the struggle. Other struggles have been getting access to healthcare, employment opportunities getting society as a whole to accept you and your differences. I’ve been discriminated at and terminated from jobs because of my disability. Denied resources due to the rareness of my condition. So, I have suffered a lot of financial hardship due to the above factors.

Nevertheless, I believe in persevering and that everything happens for a reason. I find comfort in knowing that although I have experienced some struggles I am not alone in my struggle. People with disabilities face these challenges every single day (and most times a lot worse than what I have personally experienced) this fuels my fire to fight for justice and equality for my community. I am grateful that through every bump and hardship, I have a great support system. From my family, my mom and grandma to my church family. Cheering me along the way, it makes the struggles totally durable. Most people who know me know that I’m very resilient and even when life knocks me down it doesn’t take long for me to get back up. If having 103 surgeries hasn’t taught me anything, it has taught life can be hard but in God, we are stronger.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Beauty with a Twist story. Tell us more about the business.
As the founder of The Beauty with a Twist brand is a trademark created especially for young women. I wanted the world to see the beauty in Differences too. I am a motivational speaker, advocate so my brand embodies my life story. My aim is to empower women young and old who may seem themselves as different or have a disability.
I also am officially launching my Nonprofit Organization called The Dopson Foundation Inc. Our goal is to provide supplementary financial, emotional and social support to individuals affected by Disabilities, Facial Differences, and Rare Diseases. Through philanthropy, education- awareness, job training, and development, we want to give back to our serviced communities more by filling in the gap and providing specific needs for all persons with disabilities.

Well, how many people with actual disabilities have you seen starting their own nonprofit organizations and developing brands? Not many I can tell you that much. I have the mindset of believing that we need more people with disabilities and differences in occupying spaces in the market places. We need more products, services created by us for us. I hope to empower others with differences and disabilities to take the caps/limitations off and do what you have in your heart to do. Starting my brand, launching my non-profit was a total leap of faith but I know if I can do it, other people like me can do it too. I was not created to fit in I was born to stand out.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I see my industry more inclusive. Inclusion is the future. Not just here in Atlanta but in every arena. Disability is not what people think it is. The definition and what that looks like changes daily. Science, technology, medical innovation is finally catching up and people with differences are able to do things that in the past society deemed as impossible. So, I’m excited!

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Image Credit:
The image was taken by Calvin Finklea, Styled Derrick Finklea, D.Lamonts Styling Co

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