-By Dr. Julianne Malveaux
This week’s featured Fact from ‘Surviving and Thriving: 365 Facts in Black Economic History’.
Naomi Ruth Sims – Naomi is credited as the first African-American supermodel. Naomi was a student and scholarship recipient at the renowned Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC. She studied and worked hard to earn and maintain her spot in the fashion and modeling industry.
At the age of 20, she was selected for a national television campaign to promote AT&T, wearing clothes by designer Bill Blass.
In the 1960’s-1970’s, a time when Blacks faced racial prejudices everyday and were excluded from prominent roles in America, Naomi would make headlines. On October 17, 1969, she graced the cover of Life Magazine, the first Black model to achieve this success.
Naomi’s superstardom didn’t end at modeling and promoting fashion designers. She became a businesswoman and created a wig line of African-American hair texture. This became a multi-billion dollar beauty company. In its first year, the company’s sales exceeded $5,000,000.
What I also respect and find SOFLY about Naomi was her work to educate and inform. She wrote five books and also wrote an advice column for teenage girls in Right On! Magazine.
Happy Black History Month!
