Bullies can tear anyone down, even the most beautiful and confident person. Being reminded that you are different and told you aren’t good enough can be tough for anyone, especially children. One young girl was bullied by her classmates and even her teachers because she had dark skin.
She found a way to not only make herself feel better about her color but also help others feel confident in their own skin.
Kheris Rogers attended school with other African-American children, so she didn’t think her skin color would be an issue. As it turns, out being the darkest girl in school led to some pretty severe bullying. She shared:
“I was the darkest of all of them. But they were all African-American.”
She had recently switched schools because of the horrible bullying she was dealing with.
It seemed like wherever she went, she was bullied because of her of dark skin color. She wondered why people couldn’t just accept her for who she was.
Instead of letting it get her down, she decided to use it to her advantage. She created a clothing line called “Flexin’ In My Complexion.” It’s meant to help people feel good about themselves, regardless of their skin color or other features.
Rogers’ sister, Taylor Pollard, shared a photo of Rogers on social media with the hashtag #flexininmycomplexion.
It was a huge hit with family members, and everyone was commenting on the photo talking about how pretty Rogers was and how much they loved her style. It made Rogers feel amazing. Pollard explained:
“When she saw those comments, she was like, ‘Oh my god, this is what people really think about me.'”
It didn’t take long for celebrities to notice her clothing line and positive message. They started tweeting about it and her, and she became an internet sensation. She said:
“I went from being bullied for my skin tone to modeling at Nike headquarters. Ain’t it a blessing?”
Rogers is amazed at how many people have supported her.
She is hoping to expand her brand and clothing line and reach even more people. Right now, it can only be purchased online, but she hopes that it will make it to stores in the near future. She said:
“We didn’t expect for me to start the clothing line. We didn’t expect the picture to go viral at all. We just thought it was going to get a couple of retweets. It’s crazy how people want to buy my clothing line.”
She hopes that her clothing line is inspiring people to be themselves and be brave enough to chase their dreams.
The clothing line has done wonders for her self-esteem, and she wants it to do the same for others. It’s easy to let bullies win and make you feel bad, but you can also use your differences to inspire and help others. Rogers is the perfect example of the right way to stand up to a bully.
All those people who made fun of her and teased her are now watching as she models for big brand names, has her own clothing line, and is endorsed by celebrities like Snoop Dog. This young girl is going places and if she can be this successful at age 11, what does the future hold for her? She said:
“I’m telling other young kids that they can do anything they want to do. Like if you want to be a model, just go for it. Nobody can tell you that you can’t do anything just because of the way you look.”
Rogers and her sister and planning on creating more clothing and accessories in the future.
They continue to share their designs and photos online and inspire millions of people to be comfortable in their own skin and love the way they look. Being different isn’t bad, and sometimes, it can help you achieve your goals even faster.
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