Tyra Bankshas been shattering barriers since the 1990s.
That same year, the supermodel made history again with her jointSports Illustratedcover with supermodel Valeria Mazza.
She solidified her status as an icon when she landed her solo cover with the outlet a year later.
Her experience and many accomplishments have changed the modeling industry for the better.
But there was nothing easy about being one of the first Black supermodels.
“My runway walk was something extra special,” she explained.
The supermodel didn’t let the status quo stamp out her individuality or exclude her because of her race.
“I used to feel like the Josephine Baker of fashion,” she admitted to the outlet.
“My own country did not celebrate my beauty and talent the way France did.
