Tracey Africa knew girls like her could never dream of being fashion models.
So when she sneaked into a model call and got in front of an editor of Vogue, she had no idea that her life would change forever.
Surprising herself, she booked the gig! And her career took off overnight.
Soon she was on billboards, in magazines, and even the face of a Clairol hair dye color – 512, “Dark Auburn.” But every day she prayed that nobody would discover her secret.
If they found out she was trans, her career was OVER. It was hard enough getting jobs as a BLACK model! She was beautiful and talented, shouldn’t that be all that mattered?
But the world didn’t see it that way. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long until she was outed – and everything changed overnight once again.
Suddenly shunned from the modeling world, she decided she was done hiding!
Instead she leaned into her truth. She became a legendary “Mother” in the ball scene in New York City. And her story doesn’t end there.
Now that Black trans models and celebrities like Indya Moore, Laverne Cox, and Janet Mock are breaking into the mainstream, Africa has found a resurgence in her modeling career!
Even though the world might not be ready for it right away, Tracey Africa shows that being unapologetically yourself is ALWAYS the right move.