Asha Mosi Believes Her Clothing Company, 'Un-Cursed,' Can Be Catalyst For Powerful Change For Black Families -- And She Wants To Take It Beyond Clothes
FOREST PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- Can a simple T-shirt elicit a powerful change?
One woman from west suburban Forest Park believes her clothing company could be the catalyst to start meaningful conversations - and could break the curse that many Black families feel have loomed for generations.
CBS 2'S Meredith Barack introduced us Wednesday night to that woman, Asha Mosi, who is hoping to make more than a fashion statement.
Mosi said a dark cloud looms over many Black families.
"Our families are still struggling with substance abuse issues, domestic violence, physical abuse, sexual abuse, and things that are continuing to go on every day," she said, "and our kids are affected by it."
Many consider it a curse. And it is a curse Mosi hopes to break with her apparel company, Un-Cursed.
"Creating new memories in our families so we can have other things to look back on - so there's a lot of reasons that Un-Cursed was birthed," she said.
Mosi wants her T-shirts to be changemakers and conversation starters - breaking cycles and curses that span generations. And she knows firsthand.
"So I do come from a family of trauma. I do come from a family of sexual abuse, enmeshed families, a lack of boundaries, broken family relationships," she said. "So I'm still trying to work through that every single day."
She also works as a licensed clinical social worker, so she knows the importance of talking about trauma. But she also knows beginning the healing process isn't always easy.
"How we deal with our kids, how we function in our families, how we feel about ourselves - I think it definitely can be a start to a change, and that what I want Un-Cursed to do," Mosi said.
And this week, as we mark Juneteenth - the day the last enslaved African Africans learned they were free from slavery in Texas in 1865 – Mosi said it is important to reflect on the past constantly, not just once a year.
"It's just a lifelong thing," she said. "It's a journey in our families in each and every day of things that we need to recover from - including slavery, including family traditions, including religious beliefs, and the host of other things that have conditioned us."
Mosi said her goal is grow Un-Cursed into a nonprofit that would then help families across the Chicagoland area.
