Beverly Johnson

Who is Beverly Johnson?

Beverly Johnson 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 August 1974. A year later, she became the first black woman to appear on the cover of the French edition of Elle. She was the star of the reality series Beverly's Full House on the Oprah Winfrey Network which focuses on her attempt to heal the flawed mother/daughter relationship with her daughter, Anansa Sims.

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. Given the success of her 1990's wig line, she has been a leading influencer in hair care, especially among women of color. Her company now sells luxury hair extensions.