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Flaws & All EXHIBITION
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Sonia Perez
carries a heritage woven between California and Mexico. Born and raised in California, she is the daughter of a California-born mother and a father from El Guaro, Guanajuato, Mexico. Her maternal grandparents came from Zamora, Michoacán, bringing with them rich traditions, resilience, and cultural pride.
Growing up as the youngest of four, Sonia’s identity has been shaped by the love, stories, and roots passed down through generations—a reflection of two worlds that come together in her life and work.
Sonia embraces her blended upbringing, honoring the journeys, sacrifices, and history that came before her while paving her own path in her community.
“I honor my past by rising, creating, and opening doors for others.”
Growing up as the youngest of four, Sonia’s identity has been shaped by the love, stories, and roots passed down through generations—a reflection of two worlds that come together in her life and work.
Sonia embraces her blended upbringing, honoring the journeys, sacrifices, and history that came before her while paving her own path in her community.
“I honor my past by rising, creating, and opening doors for others.”
Simone Jenkins
Comes from the Black American Hertiage, born and raised in South Bend In, she is the daughter of Marilyn Jenkins Braylock and Charles Jenkins, with heavy roots deeply rooted on the Lakeside of town, with rich connections to black community and family history.
Her well know grandparents Aleck Braylock " Uncle Buck, and Marie Braylock and Them Jenkins out in the country, all known for their great contributions to their community, their hospitality and an array of rich stories, the family is Rich, Rich in love, Rich in culture, Rich in giving back, and Rich in knowing where you come from.
Simone continues to take this richness throughout her life, and remain A proud, Black WOMAN, that walks in her purpose and lives a joyful, full life, despite what the world have depicted how it should look, for a Black Woman. She has pushed passed ample amount of obstacles and pathing the paths for those that will stand on her shoulders. She continues to strengthen her path and passions. She would say “ One thing ima always do is LIVE " You get one life, fill it with happiness"
"GO GET IT" -Simone
Her well know grandparents Aleck Braylock " Uncle Buck, and Marie Braylock and Them Jenkins out in the country, all known for their great contributions to their community, their hospitality and an array of rich stories, the family is Rich, Rich in love, Rich in culture, Rich in giving back, and Rich in knowing where you come from.
Simone continues to take this richness throughout her life, and remain A proud, Black WOMAN, that walks in her purpose and lives a joyful, full life, despite what the world have depicted how it should look, for a Black Woman. She has pushed passed ample amount of obstacles and pathing the paths for those that will stand on her shoulders. She continues to strengthen her path and passions. She would say “ One thing ima always do is LIVE " You get one life, fill it with happiness"
"GO GET IT" -Simone
Irma Ramirez
Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, to Mexican immigrant parents—her mother from Michoacán, Mexico, and her father from Guerrero, Mexico—raised in the heart of the city, she is the eldest of four sisters, a role that taught her responsibility, leadership, and love long before she understood the weight of those words.
She later moved to Niles, Michigan, where difference became more visible. Her parents returned her to Mexico often, to remind her where she comes from and what she carries forward.
She is a first-generation legal professional. Her resilience is inherited. Her grit is cultural. Her flaws are not weaknesses, but proof of survival.
As a woman of color, her story includes sacrifice, pressure, pride, and vulnerability. A proud Mexicana, she honors her heritage by embracing every part of her journey—the flaws, the lessons, and the resilience that make her uniquely her. She carries her roots with her in everything she does, committed to giving back, opening doors, and standing authentically in her truth.
“I honor where I come from by working hard and showing my children that our story is one of strength.”
She later moved to Niles, Michigan, where difference became more visible. Her parents returned her to Mexico often, to remind her where she comes from and what she carries forward.
She is a first-generation legal professional. Her resilience is inherited. Her grit is cultural. Her flaws are not weaknesses, but proof of survival.
As a woman of color, her story includes sacrifice, pressure, pride, and vulnerability. A proud Mexicana, she honors her heritage by embracing every part of her journey—the flaws, the lessons, and the resilience that make her uniquely her. She carries her roots with her in everything she does, committed to giving back, opening doors, and standing authentically in her truth.
“I honor where I come from by working hard and showing my children that our story is one of strength.”
Tamaya Lester
is a creative visionary on a purpose-driven journey to inspire confidence, elevate self-expression, and help women step into the fullness of who they are. Her identity is deeply shaped by the rich heritage of her Choctaw Indian ancestors and the strength of her African American lineage—families who migrated from the South to Indiana, carrying with them their traditions, resourcefulness, spiritual wisdom, and unshakable resilience. Their legacy grounds her, guiding her artistry and her understanding of beauty as something born from truth, lived experience, and ancestral strength.
A devoted lover of creativity, self-growth, and authentic expression, Tamaya views her work as a continuation of the stories passed down through generations—stories of courage, community, survival, and the celebration of womanhood in all its forms. Being part of Flaws & All: Honoring Women of Color is a profound honor. Through her presence and leadership, she hopes to remind others that what we call “flaws” are often sacred marks of heritage, evolution, and the powerful beauty we inherit from those who came before us.
A devoted lover of creativity, self-growth, and authentic expression, Tamaya views her work as a continuation of the stories passed down through generations—stories of courage, community, survival, and the celebration of womanhood in all its forms. Being part of Flaws & All: Honoring Women of Color is a profound honor. Through her presence and leadership, she hopes to remind others that what we call “flaws” are often sacred marks of heritage, evolution, and the powerful beauty we inherit from those who came before us.
Shakira Alexandria DeSavoir
is a foundational Black American, with a family lineage that has
been a part of the Americas for more than 400 years. In her ancestry you will find DNA
connections to indigenous and enslaved individuals that have been apart of this land before the
inception of the United States as a country.
Shakira is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist In the states of Indiana, and Utah; she also
holds the credential of National Certified Counselor as well. Shakira is known for being a leader,
compassionate, and she is known to be unrelenting in her pursuit for justice an equality for all
beings. She is a lady that has been forged in the fires of trauma, and inconceivable pain that led
her to developing unbreakable strength. One unique thing about Shakira DeSavoir (AKA The
Southern Belle) is that adversary has never been able to encapsulate her rising star. This is
noted by her determination to put herself through graduate school, and obtain Dual Master
degrees in Criminal Justice with a focus on Social Justice Reform, and Clinical Mental Health
Counseling all while being homeless the entire graduate program.
Her moto: “If you don’t like something change it. If can’t change it then change your attitude”---
Mya Angelou
been a part of the Americas for more than 400 years. In her ancestry you will find DNA
connections to indigenous and enslaved individuals that have been apart of this land before the
inception of the United States as a country.
Shakira is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Therapist In the states of Indiana, and Utah; she also
holds the credential of National Certified Counselor as well. Shakira is known for being a leader,
compassionate, and she is known to be unrelenting in her pursuit for justice an equality for all
beings. She is a lady that has been forged in the fires of trauma, and inconceivable pain that led
her to developing unbreakable strength. One unique thing about Shakira DeSavoir (AKA The
Southern Belle) is that adversary has never been able to encapsulate her rising star. This is
noted by her determination to put herself through graduate school, and obtain Dual Master
degrees in Criminal Justice with a focus on Social Justice Reform, and Clinical Mental Health
Counseling all while being homeless the entire graduate program.
Her moto: “If you don’t like something change it. If can’t change it then change your attitude”---
Mya Angelou
Tara Mathis
Of mixed heritage, with relatives migrating from Europe and West Africa and settling in America to marry and have children with Indigenous people of America. My relatives settled in America in the late 1800s, some in the eastern states, with a vast majority in the Southern States. It was then that my relatives lost their identity, where one selection or identity must be chosen, which was white. To understand myself and my heritage, the search began. The search yielded a beautiful array of cultures, including Senegalese, Irish, Blackfoot, Shoshone, Cherokee, Jewish, English, and Spanish. Culturally, I identify with my Southern Roots, where family and God are central. I’ve reclaimed my identity as an American with mixed heritage, with no identification of white, and choose not to be forced into a man-made category. I choose to honor all strands of myself rather than erase them. A mother who was not white enough for a “white school” was placed in a school on an Indian reservation in Virginia. I embrace my olive complexion, high cheekbones, curvy physique, dark eyes, and hair, from a beautiful blend of nationalities.
Mayra Salazar Ogaz
My Mexican heritage shaped the fire in me. I come from a lineage of hardworking, passionate, and resilient people—and their strength moves through everything I do. I am a powerful woman because I turn every struggle into wisdom, every setback into growth, and I show up with heart, pride, and a spirit that refuses to dim. I am my roots, my growth, and my own unstoppable force.
Sierra Fox
A woman who descended from Cameroon, Africa, to the Americas in the 1800s during the transatlantic slave trade. To then obtain mixed heritage from European Whites and Cherokee Indian ethnicity. I consider myself a proud black woman with a beautiful complexion who identifies with the African American culture. Family traditions of honoring our elders, the importance of Granny, who took everyone in and was everyone’s granny, and the importance of equal rights for Black people, especially Black women. My unique features of freckles and smaller eyes have a story left untold.
Saray Villela
My heritage is more than just where I’m from. It comes from a strong line of women with hopes, dreams, and sacrifices. That’s where my power comes from. I carry all of that inside me in every thing I do. I am a woman of power because I have learned to adapt. To grow in places that weren’t meant for me. To fall many times and STILL RISE. I have created my own path, pushing forward through the circumstances meant to break me and honoring the legacy those women dreamed of and more. I am because of everything they were. I a mexican. I am women. I am power.
Daisy Butler
story began in Gary, Indiana, a city defined by its enormous steel mills, the legacy of the Jackson 5, and a complex atmosphere of fierce determination and persistent struggle. My great-grandmother was part of the Southern migration later marrying a steelworker like many other women in the early 1900’s. Growing up, I saw that many residents shared similar backgrounds to mine—being orphaned or raised in single-mother homes. Yet, these challenging beginnings were the fire and mortar that forged my foundation, giving me the strength to overcome obstacles and tribulations.
I stand today as a professional African American woman, holding my past not with shame, but as a foundation of strength. My greatest satisfaction comes not from the degrees I possess, but from the genuine connection of looking into the eyes of others to see their needs, and receiving the reward of their grateful hearts and smiles.
I stand today as a professional African American woman, holding my past not with shame, but as a foundation of strength. My greatest satisfaction comes not from the degrees I possess, but from the genuine connection of looking into the eyes of others to see their needs, and receiving the reward of their grateful hearts and smiles.
Mary-Jo-Photographer
On my paternal side, my grandmother’s family comes from Duluth, Georgia, with ancestral roots connected to the Cherokee people. My grandfather and his family originated in the Caribbean, later forced onto the Richie Plantation in Arkansas. Over time, our lineage also became connected with the Blackfoot people layers of Indigenous and African history braided together through survival.
On my maternal side, my grandmother’s roots trace back to the West Indies. Through the transatlantic slave trade, her ancestors were resold in New Orleans and eventually settled on a plantation in Mississippi. My maternal grandfather’s ancestry reaches back to Southern Africa, grounding our family story in the continent from which so much was taken, yet never erased.
Like many Black families, my own migrated north during the Great Migration, settling in South Bend, Indiana carrying hope, culture, and creativity from the South into a new chapter of possibility.
This exhibit has lived in my heart for many years. Flaws and All is both a reflection and a reclaiming. It honors the pain, power, and perseverance embedded in my bloodline. When I travel overseas near the islands I am called “Island Girl,” I’m reminded that my ancestors are still alive within me, speaking, guiding, creating.
I am a Woman of Color, fighting ten times harder to claim space that was never freely given. I stand strong, ambitious, creative, and driven, rooted in history, moving with purpose, and carrying power forward.
This work is my gratitude. This work is my inheritance. Mary-Jo
On my maternal side, my grandmother’s roots trace back to the West Indies. Through the transatlantic slave trade, her ancestors were resold in New Orleans and eventually settled on a plantation in Mississippi. My maternal grandfather’s ancestry reaches back to Southern Africa, grounding our family story in the continent from which so much was taken, yet never erased.
Like many Black families, my own migrated north during the Great Migration, settling in South Bend, Indiana carrying hope, culture, and creativity from the South into a new chapter of possibility.
This exhibit has lived in my heart for many years. Flaws and All is both a reflection and a reclaiming. It honors the pain, power, and perseverance embedded in my bloodline. When I travel overseas near the islands I am called “Island Girl,” I’m reminded that my ancestors are still alive within me, speaking, guiding, creating.
I am a Woman of Color, fighting ten times harder to claim space that was never freely given. I stand strong, ambitious, creative, and driven, rooted in history, moving with purpose, and carrying power forward.
This work is my gratitude. This work is my inheritance. Mary-Jo
Team
Upcoming Events
Flaws & All Photography ExhibitionThu, Dec 18South Bend
The Content Brag Soirée: Create Now: Your Content can't wait!Sat, Aug 23Location is TBD
Photo Brag IntroSun, Dec 29South Bend
MARY-JO RICHIE
PHOTOGRAPHY
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