Already have an account?
Get back to the

Tracey ‘Africa’ Norman, the First Black Trans Model, Returns to Modeling After 30 Years

Tracey Africa Norman
Thirty years after she thought her career was over, Tracey ‘Africa’ Norman, the first black trans model, will return to modeling with a Clairol campaign.

After a 30-year hiatus, Tracey “Africa” Norman, the first black transgender model, is returning to modeling for Clairol’s empowering “Color As Real As You Are” campaign. Even sweeter? The ads, which will run in January 2017, come 40 years after Norman’s first campaign with the beauty brand.

The New Jersey–born model, 63, who appeared in the pages of Essence and Italian Vogue in the ’70s, was featured on a box of Clairol Born Beautiful for several years during the decade. Her gender identity was a carefully guarded secret until 1980, when her secret was revealed. Norman’s modeling career came to an end shortly after.

PHOTOS: The Biggest Supermodels, Then and Now

Then, in December 2015, Norman shared her story with New York Magazine. (Laverne Cox noted in the piece that Norman is one of her biggest inspirations.) The article inspired Clairol to reach out to the former model to see if she’d be interested in working with the brand again, and indeed, she was delighted.

Tracey Africa Norman
Tracey “Africa” Norman with her Clairol box.

“Clairol really believes in the power of hair color to transform you, and so do I,” Norman, who will not only star in print ads but also a TV commercial for the label, said in a statement. “It helped me feel feminine — like the real me. And being the real you is what the new Nice’n Easy campaign is about.”

PHOTOS: 13 Beauty Hacks From Instagram That Actually Work

Norman also spoke out about how much more open she believes the industry is today. “Modeling now is a lot more relaxing,” she shared. “Modeling back in the 1970s was a little tense for me, because I was hiding my truth and was betraying myself and getting jobs as a female. Now it’s a lot more comfortable for me and I don’t have to hide behind my truth. If a door opens, walk through it. That’s what I did in the 1970s, and that’s what I’m doing now.”

PHOTOS: Celebrity LGBT Allies

And that’s just the kind of empowering outlook Clairol supports. “Our new ‘Color As Real As You Are’ campaign celebrates the confidence that comes from embracing what makes you unique and using natural color to express yourself freely,” says global Clairol associate brand director Heather Carruthers. “We’re honored to bring back Tracey Norman as a woman who no longer has to hide her truth. Her warm, genuine spirit and authentic approach to life make her a natural fit for the campaign.”

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!