Tonight while out in the city enjoying the cool night, I decided to make a trip to the grocery store on the upper west side. While walking north I noticed coming towards me was a familiar face that for a time hung on my bedroom wall as a teenager. That face belonged to Gail O'Neill. When I was a teenager in the 90s it was the reign of the supermodel. I could count off the many mainstream (white) names but just as important I can tell you the women who held an extra special place in my heart for their many beautiful shades of brown, and they are: Gail O'Neill, Roshumba, Waris, Veronica Webb, Beverly Peele, Beverly Johnson, Iman, Tyra Banks, Naomi Campbell, and Karen Alexander just to name a few. These women had Revlon and Cover Girl endorsements. I was proud of them and to prove it, they each earned a spot on my wall.
So while I had the chance I approached her and said thank you for being present so that I as a young girl had the images of woman who looked like me filling ads, editorial pages of magazines and television screens (Saturday morning ritual of watching Videofashion). She thanked me for expressing that and mentioned her sadness for young black girls today that don't have that. She asked my name I gave it to her and we went our separate ways.
This is what gives me a second wind for NYC, the many occasions when I have seen--on the street no less, people I would not have thought I would see or meet. Within a week and a half, I have seen and/or spoken to Gail O'Neill, Leslie Uggams, Marianne Pearl and Ledisi. And that's just recently. When I tell you I meet and see the rich and/or famous it's not a stretch of the imagination. I could very easily win a contest if someone were keeping score. The thing about it is I never intentionally look. Read my earlier post to see other women I've encountered.
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