Full & Fabulous 40th Anniversary Gala & Image Awards Brings New Meaning to 40 and Fabulous!

What young girl doesn’t yearn to hear the words “You are beautiful just the way you are”? Unfortunately, girls today are relentlessly bombarded with images and messages that convince them they need to be thinner, taller, prettier, smarter… the list goes on! 

But Full & Fabulous (https://www.fullandfabulous.org/), a 501c3 non-profit organization created by Sharon DuMas, has spent the last 40 years focusing on motivating plus size women and girls to jump start their journey to self-esteem, culminating in the Full & Fabulous 40th Anniversary Gala & Image Awards this past October 1st! 

We are privileged to speak with Sharon today and hope she will share her secret to success.

QSM: First, tell us all about the exciting anniversary gala! What were some of your favorite moments of the evening?

SD: The 40th anniversary gala was everything I wanted it to be and more. The atmosphere was positive and celebratory. Everyone knew they were there to celebrate plus size women and their accomplishments, with plus size girls in the room being inspired. 

We had two local comedians, who are past participants and I told them only clean and no fat jokes because the program was about uplifting women and the fact that our girls were there watching and they both did a great job. 

Our special guest was Kim Coles and John Henton from Living Single and again our girls were inspired by seeing a plus size celebrity to confirm that regardless of your size you can be successful, at whatever you decide to do and you just have to put the work in. Some of my favorite moments of the evening was how beautiful the girls were in their ball gowns,  from when they were in the A Rose is still A Rose debutante ball graduation in August, how they interacted with our celebrity guest Kim Coles and John Henton and how inspired they were to meet the successful, accomplished awardees, who spoke about how Full & Fabulous played apart in the success they have today.  As you can see, it was all about inspiring the girls who come from inner city, low income and fatherless homes.

QSM: Why did you choose to have a fashion show of male designers and models?

SD: I chose to have an all male fashion  because the Detroit Fashion Kings are mature men who are known for their designer wardrobe and fashions. Each look they wore had matching alligator shoes. Also some of the girls do not have fathers in the home and I wanted them to see men, who could be their fathers age in a positive light.

QSM: What role did actress Kim Coles play in the gala? In what ways does she embody the Full & Fabulous mission?

SD: Kim Coles played the role of the ultimate confirmation that a woman from humble beginnings, regardless of her size can become successful. That no matter what anyone else thinks of you, it's how you feel about yourself that  matters. Kim told her story of how she battled with low self-esteem because of her weight as a young woman but yet they were able to watch her on television in Kim’s new show “Finding Happy”, before they met her and being on national tv is not beyond their reach. For the past 40 years it has been my mission and purpose to encourage, expose and motivate plus size women and girls to look past the reflection in the mirror and find their inner beauty and love and nurture it regardless of what anyone else says. I’m not saying it’s easy but it is so necessary.

QSM: Full & Fabulous has been around long before the current trend of acceptance and inclusivity. What inspired you to create it?

SD: I was inspired to create Full & Fabulous because I grew up as a plus size girl and I was miserable. I was teased, bullied and unaccepted throughout childhood. When it was time for me to graduate from high school I suffered with severe low self-esteem. To add insult to injury even my counselor made a negative comment toward me, when I told him I wanted to be an entrepreneur. Mr. Littfield laughed and said “Sharon you should only aspire to be someone's secretary because since you can’t seem to manage your weight, you will never be able to manage people”. I tell the story about my journey in my upcoming Ebook “Bud or In Bloom A Rose is Still A Rose”. You see I love roses and I know people love roses, whether they are buds or in bloom and that’s the concept I use with my program. I also have created an “A Rose is still A Rose Workbook/Journal” to help plus size women and girls jump start their journey to self-esteem.

QSM: Why do you think girls and young women are so much more susceptible to body insecurities and low self-esteem than boys and young men are?

SD:  I think girls and young women are susceptible to body insecurities because more emphasis is put on girls to look pretty to get a boyfriend or a husband. Also media depicts women to look thin/smaller in the magazine, on tv and reflects harshly on the plus size woman and girl.

QSM: Some may say that the message of “You’re beautiful the way you are” contradicts your programs of self-improvement. What would you say to them?

SD: I would say real beauty is an inside job and once you feel better about yourself, you do better about yourself. We teach our girls to make healthier choices in every area of their lives by starting with self-esteem, health and then beauty. There are so many women whooooo are not plus size but are unattractive because of their attitude. It’s important to be healthy and starting with your self-esteem gives you the confidence and courage to make the necessary changes to live a healthier lifestyle. Full & Fabulous is a state of mind, not a dress size.

QSM: Can you tell us more about the kinds of programs that Full & Fabulous Program collaborates with to leverage their resources? 

SD: We collaborate with the Detroit Health Department, so that we can educate our girls with the facts about STD, abstinence, and other important facts about sex. In 40 years we have not had one teen pregnancy. We also collaborate with alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention programs and we have a therapist who does one session a month to assist the girls with the different stressful situations they deal with on a daily basis.

QSM: Do you think Full & Fabulous will ever have a program for boys and young men? Why or why not?

SD: No, not until we find a responsible man to run the program. Most of our participants are from the inner city, where many homes are run by single moms. Boys are already dealing with moms, grandmas and aunties and I believe another woman would only complicate their lives.

QSM: What are some of the different ways that people can be involved in Full & Fabulous?

SD: People can be involved by volunteering, starting virtual chapters in their areas, by going to our store on the website and supporting by making a donation or purchase. Our wish list is to acquire a new van. We have a 1999 Ford Econovan that currently needs repair. Purchase my E-book and journal that will be released in November and all proceeds will benefit the curvy girl project.

QSM: So what’s next for Full & Fabulous? Global domination?!

SD: Global chapters and conferences. Currently we have girls from Arizona, Chicago, Atlanta, South Africa and Ghana, who attend our Saturday virtual sessions.

QSM: Where can people learn more about Full & Fabulous? 

SD: People can go to www.fullandfabulous40.org

QSM: Is there anything else you’d like to add? 

SD: Yes. Kim Coles has an anthology book released in November and I am a co-author. “WISDOM G.I.F.T.S. and my personal book, workbook and online classes “A Rose is still A Rose” that focuses on self-esteem, health and beauty.