Oprah interview with Gabrielle Douglas the first black individual all-around gymnastics gold medalist in the Olympics,
Seeing a young black girl perform such amazing feats in a sport where black faces are so rare, reminds me of just how thrilling it was when my great uncle Tom Lyle Williams introduced the first black model, Dorothea Towles Church in a 1959 Maybelline ad.
In the late 1950’s, seeing a black face on the runways or inside the magazine issues was unheard of until the beautiful Dorothea Towles Church gracefully made her way into an industry.
Maybelline Model, Dorothea Towles Church, never let
go of her dreams and opened the door for multicultural beauties to become Super-Models all over the world.
Gabby Douglas did for Olympian gold, what Dorothea Towles Church did for the modeling industry, and will surely inspire more black girls to embrace gymnastics and make their dreams come true.
Coming soon · Next from Sharrie Williams
Maybe She’s Born With It
The next chapter of the Maybelline family story. Get a text the day it’s out.
Where it began: The Maybelline Story — Amazon · Ebook · Signed copy