CLEVELAND — It's Women’s National History Month and all month long we'll be shining a light on local women making a difference in the community. We start off our series with Cleveland burlesque queen Bella Sin.
“Not only do we do the impossible, but we achieve the improbable."
Meet Bella Sin -- aka “Cleveland’s Burlesque Queen” -- who’s a proud outspoken Mexican immigrant who bites her tongue for no one.
"I’m not one to stand on the side and see individuals just pushed down how they are," she said.
Sin’s long list of achievements include her own makeup line, Cleveland's Most Interesting People in 2011 to placing No. 24 in the 50 most influential burlesque industry figures of 2021.
With a passion for her community and a history of putting others first, she says her longevity is owed to her mother, Mona Ruiz.
"I truly believe I'm a baddie because if it wasn't for my momma I wouldn't have been here. She taught me how to be a baddie."
Her mother raised two girls all by herself while fighting cancer for 12 years. Ruiz lost her battle last October, forcing Bella to tap into a strength from within.
"Losing your mom, it can't come into words," she said. "She is my hero, my icon and I have to carry her with me."
And she does just that. Every step of the way she's encouraging other women to speak up and stand out and be strong!
"I want to just have the spectrum of celebrating the stay-at-home mom all the way to celebrating the fem CEO in a boardroom," she said.
Her work for the community focuses on a legacy across 18 years striving for equality and diversity both on and off the stage.
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Editor's note: Video in the player above featuring Bella Sin was originally published in a previous story on Oct. 4, 2021.