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Meet the Divas

At Divas in the City, we understand the beauty and challenges of being both a Black woman and a woman with a disability.  With a small percentage of black female and disability media representation, we want to highlight authentic and unapologetic women and their storylines that resonate with everyday people.

 

About a year ago, we had a nationwide casting call for Black women with disabilities who are bosses in their cities. 

 

We go over 50 submission and we have selected five women who are fearlessly taking their city by storm.  We are proud to introduce, Zazel O'Garra, Melva Henderson, Natalia Mendez, Karen Gasperini, and Kebra Moore.

 

These are the Divas in the City!!!

Meet the Divas

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Zazel O'Garra

Zazel-Chavah O’Garra is the founder and Artistic Director of ZCO/DANCEPROJECT, a physically integrated dance company whose goal is to create performances that are witty, soulful, intelligent, powerful and intriguing. ZCODP seeks to encourage the integration and inclusion of people with disabilities in dance and in society, to present new, exciting, challenging, and inspiring contemporary dance performances to the widest possible audience.

A native New Yorker, Zazel attended the University of Michigan and Empire State College where she received a Bachelor of Arts in dance performance. A Presidential Arts Scholar, she performed with Mark Dendy Dance Company and Alvin Ailey Wksp II, as well as performing Off-Broadway and in numerous musical theatre stage productions in the U.S. and abroad. She has also served as movement coach for “As the World Turns”. As a professional model, she has appeared on two Essence Magazine covers and several other print and runway jobs. She also appeared in national, regional commercial industrials and supplied voice overs for a number of  ads.

In December 2003, Zazel discovered that she had meningioma, a benign brain tumor, which proceeded to paralyze her right side and resulted in a slight speech impediment and cognitive loss. After receiving extensive treatment at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (East Orange, NJ) and New York University Rusk Medical Center, Zazel was able to overcome the speech impediment, cognitive loss, and paralysis.

Consciously deciding to make best use of this debilitating circumstance, Zazel transitioned into teaching dance as a healing form to the disabled and non-disabled alike, continuing to share her infectiously positive and fun spirit with others. Her objective is to give those with disabilities a vehicle for self-expression, help them build a sense of self-esteem and self-reliance, and provide them with opportunities for community recognition and acclaim. She is also passionate about raising public awareness about the challenges facing and the gifts offered by those with disabilities.

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Melva Henderson

Melva Henderson's journey is truly inspiring. With her extensive background in social work, business management, and her dedicated work within the blind and visually impaired community, she embodies the essence of a passionate advocate and leader. Her academic achievements from Texas Woman University and Texas A&M University of Commerce, coupled with her specialized training from George Mason University, have evidently provided a strong foundation for her impactful career.

 

Her role as a nonprofit leader, speaker, outreach specialist, and program coordinator reflects her deep commitment to raising awareness and supporting the visually impaired. Her appointment by the Texas State Governor to the State Independent Living Council and Texas rehabilitation council. further highlight her influence and dedication to making a positive difference.

 

Melva's personal experience with optic atrophy adds a profound dimension to her work, allowing her to connect with and empower others facing similar challenges. Her philosophy of living life beyond limits and encouraging others to do the same is a powerful message of resilience and hope.

 

Melva Henderson is the founder and CEO of Living Beyond Limits, a nonprofit organization based in Dallas, Texas, dedicated to empowering individuals through access to vital services and resources. Despite losing a significant portion of her vision due to optic atrophy in 2007, Melva has become an inspiring advocate and changemaker. She is the author of Can a Blind Person? Yes, Yes, We Can! and the writer and producer of the stage play Seeing Me for Me, both of which highlight her mission to challenge perceptions and encourage inclusivity. A devoted wife, mother, and servant leader, Melva is passionate about traveling, shopping, and making a meaningful impact in the lives of others.

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Natalia Mendez

Natalia Mendez is Founder and Executive Director of Women on Wheels, a non-profit organization that educates and empowers women with spinal cord injuries. She is currently Vice President of the United Spinal Association’s New York City Chapter and has over 14 years experience working as a Youth Advocate for children with disabilities at the Bronx Independent Living Center. She also serves as a peer mentor for the newly injured, and has a deep passion for promoting awareness and inclusivity for people of all abilities, especially women. In her free time she loves to travel and attend music festivals.

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Karen Gasperini

Karen A. Gasperini is a children's author, model and speaker. She has been telling stories to children for many years. She just recently started to publish her stories for all to enjoy. Her series "Arianna's Magic Boots," are all based on her daughter Arianna and herself from their experience as a child. Her daughter, Arianna has the condition, rare genetic disorder called Beals syndrome. They also have severe scoliosis, anxiety, asthma, and club feet. Karen has been spreading awareness about her disability to help everyone understand we're all special in some way and you should never let anyone or anything stop you from shining. "Always Believe in yourself."

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Kebra Moore​

​Kebra Moore, who writes under the pen name Midnight Storm, is an American novelist from Beaufort, South Carolina. Kebra is a alumna of Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and now resides in Texas. Moore is a number 1 best-selling Amazon author, novelist of Love, Lies & Music, Short Tropical Storm Stories, co-founder of “Tropical Storm Collection” lip line, and co-founder of MOKEB LLC.
Kebra started writing short stories to her spouse while he was deployed in Iraq. Her spouse enjoyed her stories and encouraged her to write more and she continued to develop her stories. Kebra also admired the way her stories began developing, so she continued writing throughout the years in her spare time. After her youngest son graduated from high school in 2019, Kebra dedicated her time vigorously writing Love, Lies & Music, her debut novel, while working in Fort Worth, Texas. Kebra is passionate about singing, reading, composing music, and writing novels that are soothing to the soul. She describes her novels as “sensual, romantic comedies that feature multicultural characters that are not afraid to release their inhibitions and discover true love in its bare essence.”
Kebra is an active member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated, as well as a published author with Delta Authors Directory Volume 9, a philanthropist, and a disability activist. Kebra has been a devoted wife for over 23 years, and she is the loving mother of two sons. Kebra’s career is only beginning, so please stay tuned because there is much more love to explore and plenty of stories to tell!

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