About Pieces
We are a community built on the belief that healing begins when we find the pieces of ourselves that hair loss tried to take away.
Alopecia does not just take your hair — it takes pieces of your confidence, your identity, your sense of self. That is where PIECES begins.
PIECES — A Soulful Journey with Alopecia was founded by Alicia Harris in 2018, born out of her own experience with hair loss and a desire to create the community she wished she had. What started as a personal mission quickly became a movement: a nonprofit dedicated to education, empowerment, and the healing of the whole woman.
The name says it all. Alopecia impacts every piece of a person's life — emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and physically. Like a puzzle scattered across the floor, finding those pieces and putting yourself back together is a journey. PIECES walks that journey with you.
Based in Columbia, South Carolina, we serve women across the Midlands and beyond through virtual talks, community events, an annual fundraiser, and a private support community where women can speak freely and heal together.
Our Story
We believe beauty is not defined by hair.
We believe healing is holistic — mind, body, spirit, and soul.
We believe every woman deserves a community that sees her fully.
We believe the most powerful thing we can do is show up for one another.
What We Believe
What Makes
Us Different
National organizations like the National Alopecia Areata Foundation do incredible work. But there is something irreplaceable about a community that is local, personal, and built by someone who has lived it.
PIECES is in South Carolina. We are in the room with you — at the library, at the brunch table, in the virtual call when you don't know who else to talk to. We are not a hotline or a pamphlet. We are a community.
Board of Directors
Alicia P. Harris
CEO/Executive Director
Alicia P. Harris Ph.D., LPC, LPC-S, LAC,
Dr. Alicia Patricia Harris is a native of Paterson, NJ where she graduated from the infamous Eastside High School under the leadership of Principal Joe Clark. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Supervisor as well as a Licensed Addictions Counselor. She obtained her Ph.D. from the University of the Cumberlands in Wilmington, KY in Counselor Education and Supervision.
Dr. Harris is the founder of the non-profit, Pieces a Soulful Journey with Alopecia as well as the BeYOUtiFULL Women’s Movement and her mission is to help women who have been silenced, overlooked, or altered by life reclaim their identity, worth, and voice. Drawing from her own journey through alopecia, fatherlessness, and thriving after experiencing domestic violence, Dr. Harris teaches women how to redefine beauty, heal shame, and stand confidently in who they are—without apology. Her work is a call to women everywhere to remember themselves, choose themselves, and live fully seen.
Dr. Harris has been featured in articles written by Voyager Magazine, the Minority Eye, Canvas Rebel, and Carolina Panorama digital newspapers for her service to the community and hosted the 1 st annual Alopecia Awareness Event in 2018. She has been interviewed on the Cynthia Hardy show OnPoint for her contribution to the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence documentary, HUSH No More in 2018. Dr. Harris was the keynote speaker for the 2021 Silent Witness Ceremony in Columbia SC hosted by the Attorney General’s office.
She also adds the title of author to her list of accomplishments and recently completed her third anthology project called “Loving Me to Pieces,” Journeys Towards Self-Love and Self-Acceptance. In 2024, she was interviewed on Soda City Live regarding Alopecia Awareness Month highlighting the Be-YOU-TiFULL photo project which promotes self-love, self-acceptance, and authenticity.
Her favorite quote is, Own your truth. Walk in your power. Show up unapologetically.
Robbie L. Diamond
Secretary
For more than 26 years, Robbie Lemon Diamond built a meaningful career with accounting firm Grant Thornton Advisors, serving clients and colleagues throughout the southeast. After retiring, she found joy in a renewed chapter as a part-time math tutor, helping elementary and middle school students discover that they can succeed- sometimes with just the right encouragement.
Robbie’s greatest pride is her family as her two sons, two daughters through love and three grandchildren keep her inspired.
The faith community at First Nazareth Baptist Church is another anchor in her life, where serves across ministries and committees with a simple guiding principle – show up where you can make a difference.
Robbie Diamond is an avid reader/ member of several book clubs, enjoys traveling, new experiences and cooking.
Robbie believes deeply that community involvement is necessary to create constructive changes in your personal life and the collective communities in which we live.
Sarah Cassidy :
Public Relations/Social Media
Sarah grew up in New Jersey, originally coming to Columbia for college. After graduating from the University of South Carolina with a BSW, she went on to New York University to earn a MSW and worked with youth in the NYC foster care system. Since then, she has pivoted professionally to working in events, and is currently employed at the University of South Carolina.
Service has always been at the heart of her work, from supporting youth in foster care to creating impactful experiences for guests at events. Her involvement in the community is rooted in her dedication to fostering connections and uplifting others.
As a board member, she is excited to grow the Pieces community and further its mission of making a meaningful impact.
Tiffany McKnight
Member At-Large
Tiffany Jones McKnight is a devoted wife, mother of four, bonus mother of three, and caregiver to her mother. As a master’s-prepared registered nurse, she is passionate about providing compassionate, patient-centered care to individuals throughout South Carolina’s Pee Dee region and beyond, including North Carolina and Virginia.
Her life is guided by faith, family, and service. She lives by the motto, “Things are never as bad as they can be, especially when you make a conscious decision to put God first in all things.” She strives daily to reflect God’s love through her actions, compassion, and dedication to others.
As a board member of Pieces, Tiffany’s commitment to advocacy is deeply personal. Her daughter’s journey with Alopecia, which began in her late toddler years, has inspired her passion for raising awareness, promoting acceptance, and empowering others.
Tiffany believes everyone deserves to live unapologetically in their truth, embracing who they are without shame or fear. Her mission is to remind others that they are beautifully and wonderfully made just as God intended. Through faith, love, and service, she strives to inspire others to recognize their worth and walk confidently in their purpose.
LaNae Cooke
Treasurer
LaNae Cooke is a native of Columbia, SC and alumna of Howard University. She is currently employed by Prisma Health where she plays in integral role in process improvement of the revenue cycle and ensuring the financial stability of the health system.
LaNae is a member of NorthStar Christian Center where she has served as a Tax Preparer with the Tax Ministry of NorthStar in conjunction with The Cooperative Ministry.
She also serves in the NS Center of Hope Food Pantry Ministry.
In her spare time, LaNae enjoys gardening and spending time with family.
SaBrina Hare
Member At-Large
SaBrina Hare is a seasoned healthcare leader and community advocate with more than a decade of experience strengthening networks, building partnerships, and guiding teams toward meaningful impact. With a background in counseling and a career rooted in service, she brings a unique blend of strategic insight, empathy, and lived experience to her role on the Pieces board.
Her professional journey spans provider relations, network development, and quality improvement—always centered on elevating people, improving outcomes, and creating spaces where individuals feel seen and supported. Beyond her corporate leadership, SaBrina is deeply committed to community empowerment through volunteerism, mentorship, health & wellness as a fitness instructor, and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
As a board member, she is passionate about helping individuals with Alopecia embrace their identity, share their stories, and find healing through connection. SaBrina’s leadership reflects her belief that when people feel valued and understood, they thrive—and entire communities thrive with them.
We Are Growing
PIECES is currently recruiting for a Fundraising Chairperson. If you are passionate about women's empowerment, alopecia awareness, or nonprofit leadership, we'd love to talk. View the Recruitment flyer or Contact Us.
