Join us as we celebrate the life of one of the first black supermodel Naomi Sims. According to wikipedia, Ms. Sims was born in Oxford, Mississippi, the youngest of three daughters born to John and Elizabeth Sims. Her father was reportedly a porter. She became one of the first successful black models while still in her teens, and achieved worldwide recognition from the late 1960s into the early 1970s, appearing on the covers of prestigious fashion and popular magazines. In 1968 she was the first black model to appear on the cover of Ladies' Home Journal. She also appeared on the cover of the October 17, 1969 issue of Life magazine. By 1972, Hollywood took an interest in her as a potential actress and offered her the title role in the movie Cleopatra Jones, but when Sims read the script, she was appalled by the racist portrayal of blacks in the movie and turned it down. Sims ultimately decided to go into the beauty business for herself, becoming a self-made entrepreneur. She succumb to breast cancer on August 1, 2009.
