21-year-old Black woman, Aaliyah Alicia Thompson, has made history as the first autistic woman to open a beauty bar in the U.S.
According to Yahoo News, Aaliyah opened the doors to her new beauty bar, named Aaliyah’s Beauty Bar, on Sept. 5. She reportedly opened the salon in Clayton County–just 15 miles from Atlanta–to provide customers with a multitude of beauty and hair services.
That day, its social media team shared a video of the establishment’s launch via Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
With her family’s endless support, Aaliyah was able to open a salon using her designs and concepts. Not only will it cater to clients’ hair needs, but it will also have makeup and nail services available. Aaliyah’s Beauty Bar will additionally allow walk-ins, as appointments are not required to get something done.
The 21-year-old entrepreneur was reportedly diagnosed with autism at five years old. However, she didn’t allow her handicap to hinder her growth as she was an outstanding student in high school and even graduated with honors.
In addition to excelling in her studies, Aaliyah worked at Touched By An Angel Beauty School And Salon in Jonesboro, Ga., where she discovered her love for beauty. There, she began sharpening her skills and her mother, Patricia Terry, felt that enabling her to open a beauty bar would allow her to become a thriving Black business owner.
Aaliyah hopes to be a source of inspiration for others, especially those who have autism or loved ones that are autistic. One of her goals is to show them that they, too, can achieve anything they desire in life despite their illness.
She recently celebrated her birthday, as seen in a Sept. 10 post on Aaliyah’s Beauty Bar’s Instagram.
View this post on Instagram
Her very first salon is reportedly located at 3797 GA 138 Suite F, Stockbridge, Ga. 30281 and is open seven days a week.
