Beverly Johnson (born October 13, 1952) is an American model, actress, and businesswoman. She made history when she rose to fame as the first black model to appear on the cover of American Vogue in 1974, paving the way for black women in fashion, and future models like Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks. Johnson was honored in 2006 at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball along with Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Tina Turner and other female African Americans...
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Beverly Johnson (born October 13, 1952) is an American model, actress, and businesswoman. She made history when she rose to fame as the first black model to appear on the cover of American Vogue in 1974, paving the way for black women in fashion, and future models like Naomi Campbell and Tyra Banks. Johnson was honored in 2006 at Oprah Winfrey's Legends Ball along with Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Tina Turner and other female African Americans in entertainment, civil rights, and the arts. The New York Times named Johnson one of the 20th century's most influential people in fashion.
Born into a middle class family in Buffalo, New York, Johnson was a champion swimmer in her youth and aspired to be a lawyer. She was studying criminal justice at Northeastern University when, at the suggestion of friends, she tried her hand at modeling. She quickly landed an assignment with Glamour magazine and began working steadily.Johnson would go on to grace more than 500 magazine covers including...
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