Black History Month - Black Trans Women - February 14th

Today I want to highlight Tracey Norman, a Black transgender woman who quietly made history in fashion years before the industry was willing to acknowledge it. Tracey Norman began modeling in the early 1970s and quickly found success, appearing in major campaigns and magazines including Essence. At the time, she was living openly as a woman and working professionally in an industry that had rigid expectations around gender and image. For several years she modeled without public controversy, building a legitimate career based on talent and presence rather than novelty. Her career changed when people in the industry discovered she was transgender, and she was suddenly shut out of modeling work despite her success. The silence around her removal reflected how the industry handled trans people for decades. Years later, her story resurfaced and she returned to modeling, finally receiving recognition for what she had already accomplished. Tracey Norman’s life shows that Black trans women were shaping mainstream culture long before society was ready to give them credit, and that many pioneers were erased not because they lacked talent, but because they existed openly.