Stand in your truth with Alisha C. for 28 Days Of Black Cosplay.

First name and last initial:
Alisha C (But I go by Laila Marie Morgan)

Where are you from originally or reside currently?
I’m originally from NJ but I am currently in Round Rock, TX

How long have you been cosplaying?
I consider myself a baby cosplayer. I’ve been cosplaying since 2019.

What characters have you cosplayed the most?
I have a few but the ones I’ve done so far are:
Jessica Rabbit; Hinatsuru; Lemon Irvine; Uravity; Bunny Girl Senpai; Nero/Secre Swallowtail; White Raven Silk Spider; Yor Forger; Fiona (Adventure Time); Fubuki; Runa Yomozuki; Yumeko Jabami and Momo Ayase

Social Media Pages
IG @MsLailaMarie
TikTok @MsLailaMarie
RedNote ID 26224496593/MsLailaMarie


Who or what inspired you to cosplay?
I’m an actress. Prior to my move, I did a lot of theater, short films and extra work. During the pandemic everything stopped and I found myself becoming depressed because I wasn’t able to do what I loved. A friend of mine recommended I get on TikTok and do some cosplays. I noticed a lot of people who cosplayed did well known/popular characters. I remember watching anime and side characters impacting me. I wanted to do characters that weren’t as popular or known and bring light to them as well. Don’t sleep on the side characters, lol.

What do you do when you aren’t cosplaying (day job/hobbies)?
I’ve been teaching special ed for years along with acting and writing. When I’m not working I am being a mom of 4 wild boys!


What costumes have provided the biggest challenges/rewards so far and why?
OMG! The costume that has given me the biggest issues, by far is my Black Fire. I have been working on it for about 3 years and it’s STILL not done! I want to make sure I get it as close to how I vision as possible. I’m not a seamstress and I’m just now learning how to sew, so making things completely from scratch is extremely hard for me.

My most rewarding cosplay is my White Raven. I always knew I wanted to do Raven but I also was kind of tired of the typical black and purple. I remember seeing White Raven and the story of her in general and at the time, it really hit home. I started looking up little things and piecing bits together to see how I could pull it off and I remember when I was done I wore it all day lol. Her personality is a vibe and whenever I put it on I automatically feel calm and strong.

What is the best advice you would give to other cosplayers of color?
Do it for you. I remember someone saying I don’t show enough skin in my cosplays or I’d be more popular if I did more popular characters. ‘You’d make money if you do this, get better that, etc.’ None of that matters. I do my cosplay, my way, and I do it for me. It brings me peace and joy. At the end of the day that’s what really matters. Yes, we’ve all seen the trolls and the racist comments but I just remember someone else’s opinion of me, is none of my business, lol. I’ll keep doing what makes me happy and if they don’t like it, keep scrolling. You should never dim your light for anyone; and when they say you shine too bright, tell them to get shades!


What one thing could the cosplay community do better when relating to one another?
I’d like us to remember that we are one. As cheesy as it sounds, it’s true. Not all of us will have the funds or popularity to be well known, but we’re all fighting the good fight. Fighting it together is the best we can do. We come from strength. We are Black and that alone is powerful in itself.