Join us for an inspiring journey through fashion history as we explore the groundbreaking story of Tracey "Africa" Norman, the first African-American trans model to achieve mainstream success in the 1970s. From her meteoric rise in the fashion industry to her historic Clairol campaigns, we delve into Norman's remarkable journey of resilience, authenticity, and triumph. In this 20-ish minute episode, we'll explore her breakthrough moments, the challenges she faced in a groundbreaking career, her influential role in the ballroom scene, and her inspiring comeback that continues to impact fashion industry inclusivity today. Content Warning: This episode contains discussions of discrimination and workplace prejudice.

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Works Cited:

Brennan Kilbane, Diego Bendezu. “At 71, the First Black Trans Model Looks Back.” Allure, Allure, 3 Oct. 2024, www.allure.com/story/tracey-norman-beauty-profile.

Masters, Jeffrey. “Tracey ‘Africa’ Norman Looks Back on Her Legendary Modeling Career.” Advocate.Com, Advocate.com, 31 May 2023, www.advocate.com/transgender/2021/1/27/transgender-tracey-africa-norman-clairol-model.

Masters, Jeffrey. “Tracey ‘Africa’ Norman Looks Back on Her Legendary Modeling Career.” Advocate.Com, Advocate.com, 31 May 2023, www.advocate.com/transgender/2021/1/27/transgender-tracey-africa-norman-clairol-model.

“Queer Newark - Tracey Africa Norman.” Queer Newark - Oral History Project, 31 Oct. 2016, queer.newark.rutgers.edu/interviews/tracey-africa-norman.

TodayShow. “Meet Tracey ‘africa’ Norman, the 1st Black Trans Model Who Was on a Clairol Box in 1975.” TODAY.Com, TODAY, 1 June 2021, www.today.com/style/tracey-africa-norman-1st-black-trans-model-was-born-her-t219674.

“Tracey Norman - Model.” MODELS.Com, models.com/models/tracey-norman. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.

“Trans Visibility in Fashion: The Past, The Present and Future | InStyle.” InStyle, YouTube, www.youtube.com/watch?v=vj1Y7ZvPhrg. Accessed 7 Dec. 2024.