Beverly Johnson, the first Black model to grace the cover of Vogue, has revealed some of the shocking experiences of racism she faced on her way to becoming a supermodel.
The 71-year-old, who is starring in a new one-woman show, “Beverly Johnson In Vogue”, told Page Six that she encountered discrimination and prejudice from the fashion world and beyond.
One of the most disturbing incidents happened when she was staying at a hotel in Palm Springs, California, in the 1970s. She said that after she took a swim in the pool, she learned that the hotel staff drained and cleaned the pool because of the color of her skin.
“I was so naive. I thought they were cleaning the pool for me,” she said. “It was only later that I realized what they had done.”
Johnson said that she also faced resistance from some of the top designers and editors in the industry, who were reluctant to feature a Black woman on their covers and runways.
She said that she had to fight for her rights and demand equal pay and treatment as her white counterparts.
“I had to be very assertive and aggressive. I had to stand up for myself,” she said.
Johnson said that she hopes that her show, which will debut at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills on Feb. 3, will inspire and empower other women of color who aspire to break into the fashion world.
She said that she is proud of her legacy and the impact she has made on the industry and society.
“I feel like I have opened the doors for a lot of Black models and women,” she said. “I want to share my story and my journey with them.”
-min.png)