interesting…

Off the chain. This should be a lesson to those who want the fame. You have to have a strong head and a will to not get caught up.

Good stuff CL, good stuff.

Who would have ever known? She is really beautiful and thank you for highlighting this woman - i have never heard of her before.

…but yall with these margins again!

real sad

I had never heard of her. You hear about all the other black supermodels. She sounded like a very interesting character. That Vogue cover is FIERCE!!!

Wow she seemed special in since that she didnt want to be black.

*sigh*
someone else who hates Blackness…

You forgot to mention that the chick was bat shit crazy and hated being black. i wrote a paper about her, she was a victim of self hate and a pure hippie at heart. She had a child with some itilain dude and died young. You can’t escape being black, and she tried her best to run from her own heritage and it ended killing her.

She nevvvvvvvvvvvvvvvver claimed to be black (negro). She would in fact deny being black claiming everything else. Should she even get this honor, she didn’t want it?!

Co sing w/ #7
Can you at least show somebody who is proud to be black?

Oh wow, pretty sad ending. Thanks for the history lesson CL!

wow…that’s very very very interesting
and they always say beverly johnson was the first black model

actually in those candids she looks a lil like erykah badu…..spooky

Wow, that was interesting! I have never heard of her before thanks for the enlightening moments in history CL!

i’ve done a lot of research on her cool ass. her ass did not ever like or admit to being black. she’s a forgotten traitor. screw her.

well damn…she was truly a toubled woman…she was pretty tho

@8 i think we got that from the post

I love the fact that Concreteloop is educating it’s readers on African Americans that we have no knowledge of, it is always very interesting to read about black people that made a difference and this lady is no exception. Hats off to Concreteloop I love you guys!!!

she looks a lot like naomi campbell

————-What a pathetic woman but at the same time, i do feel some small pity for
————-her.

THANKS FOR THIS POST, HOW BOUT WE TALK ABOUT WHAT’S REALLY GOING ON…

EVERYBODY TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH OF A BREAKTHROUGH THIS WAS, WHICH IN A SENSE IT WAS, BUT WHAT DID SHE BREAKTHROUGH??? SOME WOULD SAY, THE FIRST TO RECIEVE SCRAPS FROM THE TABLE…

WHERE ARE THE CRITICS WHO WILL SAY “YEAH SHE’S ON THE COVER BUT HER HAND IS COVERING HER FACE…?”

THIS GOES BACK TO LEBRON’S COVER WITH GISELLE, THE WAY HE LOOKED ON THE COVER DIDN’T ME A DAMN THING TO ME, JUST LIKE THIS LADY, BEING THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN MAKING “HISTORY” BACK THEN MEANS VERY LITTLE TO ME NOW. WHO THE HELL IS VOGUE? WHY ALLOW THAT MAGAZINE TO SET A STANDARD? COME ON FOLKS ARE WE AWAKE???

Go figure the first on there would be self-hating. People with self-hate I feel sorry for. Sad they can not accept themselves.

My auntie who is 66 told me there this girl from the Cabrini Greens projects in Chicago that made it big time as a model and was on the cover of a magazine, I wonder if this her, especially since this woman was ashamed of who she was. If so that would be great.

And Black people you can’t completely blame self hating Black people who don’t like being Black because many of us was born and bred to hate ourselves in various degrees. Yall know how Black folks treat each other and we should be trying our best to be kind to one enough so our little girls and boys won’t end up like Miss Luna.

So what if she didn’t claim ALL her ethnicities, it was her choice. Maybe she felt she needed to in order to get where she got and OBVIOUSLY back then… that was the most possible case. I’m happy CL is educating ppl about our history. Black, non-black and in btwn lol… we all tie together!

I really think if she was living in today’s society she wouldn’t be saying that..
what a beautiful background!! Mexican, American Indian, Chinese, Irish, and, black or how she states “negro”

America’s Next Top Model contestants should take notes cause this woman could model her ass off!!! click on the link under the article and check out her pics…………………….they are fierce!!

It feels good to learn something new everyday. But I don’t consider this a BLACK HISTORY moment when the person that is honored does not accept their heritage. Black history moments should be about people that are proud of their heritage and made some type of influence on where we are today. But it was still cool to know of her.

What a gorgeous piece. Never knew about her. Its shows you how things were for people of color, and not too long ago and that, based on opportunities that were available at that time for us, it must have been certainly a love/hate relationship with who you were. You didn’t want to be black, or not black enough. What a wonderful, terrible experience.

You cant say this woman is a tratior for not enthused about being black. She was born in a time where being black was a disease. im sure a lot of black people in those times had phsycolgical issues because of the ways they treated us in those times, it must of even been worse in the fashion world. I mean im sure she was out in the 60’s the height of segrgation. Its sad they never mention her, ive never seen her name in any place. I always thought beverly was the first black supermodel, but Donyale was on the cover of VOGUE in the 60’s? thats crazy. thanx concrete.

WOW! From the prospective of a 15 year old multiethnic girl how can she think that she would have looked like that if she wasn’t black. False claiming other ethnicities is ignorant and should be frowned upon. Black is the dominant race, that’s how she got her beautiful features.

As for her bring a breakthrough model, well I, myself never heard of her but from what I’ve read she seems like she wasn’t credited widely enough for being “The First” because she didn’t accept herself as African American, so who would?

apples_poptarts@yahoo.com

being*

——I don’t give a damn about Vogue…they set no standards for me personally, so, it’s nice I guess.
——Tragic ending…too many people get caught up in the fast life..and die fast..

GOES BACK TO LEBRON’S COVER WITH GISELLE, THE WAY HE LOOKED ON THE COVER DIDN’T ME A DAMN THING TO ME, JUST LIKE THIS LADY, BEING THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN MAKING “HISTORY” BACK THEN MEANS VERY LITTLE TO ME NOW. WHO THE HELL IS VOGUE? WHY ALLOW THAT MAGAZINE TO SET A STANDARD? COME ON FOLKS ARE WE AWAKE???

—————————————————————–

————-Thank you. Well said. I admit that i could only see bits of that thread but
————-i think only 3 posters mentioned this in the other vogue thread.

Tahnks J. for letting more know of her and for responding to my email requesting a feature on her for the website!!

This is a tragic story. It’s unfortunate that she wasn’t strong enough to handle being black during that era. Still she wasn’t by herself.

she does look like erykah badu in some of those pics

I READ ABOUT HER YEARS AGO…..SHE WAS SO BREATHTAKING….A WONDERFUL LIFE CUT SHORT!!!

i had never heard of her either until i saw the vogue cover and her name on someone’s thread on another blog site that i frequent, and wanted to know more, so i emailed J. and he was nice enough to reply and saying he would post something on her. I thought her life was so tragic, a shame she couldn’t feel comfortable in her own skin and had to take the route of drugs, she had a powerful look, too bad she didn’t reap the full benefits of her beauty, but during the 60’s black models were very limited to do the climate of the day, but Europe did embrace ethnic beauties she should have stayed focused.

Wow. Really interesting, and she was beautiful.

Very captivating woman… funny how I never heard of her. She was modeling in the 60’s when racism was crazy and the Civil Rights Movement was at its peak and she was captivating audiences wherever she went. Self- hatred or not, this is certainly worth learning… everyone has flaws and insecurities.

I agree with 8, 23 and 35.

Perhaps she wasn’t strong enough to take Blackness. We can not transplant historic subjects and fragmentedly critic them based upon our contemporary standards. Its clear that Luna was suffering from the post and current racial and gendered traumas that Baldwin, Morrison and others so eloquently speak to.

CL, thank you for posting this and thank you for the person who alerted CL about the Luna story. This has much to do with my research. I can not thank you all enough.

We should reclaim Luna’s status as the first Black model!

I also did a feature on her on my blog, she was amazingly beautiful. Check my blog for a recent post on the first black movie star.

NOT A GOOD MORNING STARTER STORY AT ALL! HOME GIRL? WAS A MESS AND SOME ON HERSE TALK AS IF BLACK PEOPLE ARE “TREATED” MUCH BETTER THAN WE WERE BACK IN THE 60s WRONG! I SEE SOOOO MANY SISTERS TRYING TO KILL THEMSELVES TO FIT IN THE WHITE MANS TINY LIL BOX TO SEEK EXCEPTANCE,TO EXPLAIN AWAY WHY WE “ACT”THE WAY WE DO,HOW MUCH THEY AREN’T LIKE THEM OTHER BLACK PEOPLE, HOW THEY KEEP THEIR KIDS OUT THE SUN SO THEY WON’T GET TOO BLACK. IT’S HORRIBLE!WILLIE LYNCH AT WORK ON THE DAILY!STILL I RISE BLACK=BEAUTY

I find it ironic that even during 60s and 70s when segregation existed there were still more black models in high fashion magazines then than there are now.

I immediately saw Erykah Badu when I looked at her face especially in the candids.
I personally don’t consider a black person on a Vogue cover an accomplishment b/c as a black person Vogue is pretty much irrelevent to me and my culture. I also think it’s a little ridiculous to shine a black history spotlight on someone who did not want to be seen as black. If being black wasn’t good enough for her in life, then why should it be in death?

All that said thanks for making her story known because she definately lead an exotic, complicated and tragic life. It would definately make a great movie. It has Oscar written all over it if done right.

¥HERE! _____________________________AND ANOTHER THING IT’S SAD THAT SO MANY OF OUR PEOPLE SPOT LIGHTED NOT A ONE OF THEM LIVED PAST THEIR 30′S! GOD BLESS THEIR SOULS! LONG LIVE THE BLACK MAN AND WOMAN! GOOD DAY TO ALL!

go ms luna girl….wow beverly johnson is old if she knew this broad….

i’ve heard of her. there was no evidence that she was even mixed with all of those other races. of course she has something in her as most african-americans do, but she keeps claiming other races when there is no evidence that she was mixed with them. her birth certificate states something and she states something else. plus she was known for being crazy. i think she just didn’t want to be black and i also think she had a mental problem. i don’t think she should be featured but whatever

oh yeah i have to add that she only dates white men, put on blond wigs with blue contacts sometimes too. clearly she had identity issues

BACK ON MY SOAP BOX…

th”at said thanks for making her story known because she definately lead an exotic, complicated and tragic life. It would definately make a great movie. It has Oscar written all over it if done right.”

(BECAUSE THE MARGINS IS ALL MESSED UP I CAN’T GET YOUR FULL NAME, BUT THIS A REALITY. HER STORY TURNED MOVIE IS WHAT I’M TALKIN ABOUT. WHY PLACE IT ON A PEDASTOOL LIKE HER LIFE IS TO BE REVEARED? VOGUE COULD HAVE EASILY PUT CORRETTA SCOTT KING ON THAT COVER BACK THEN OR WILMA RUDOLPH OR ALTHEA GIBSON, THEY WEE MAKING DIFFERENCES. BUT VOGUE DOES WHAT IT WANTS TO DO IRREGAURDLESS!

IT’S TO MANY BLACK WOMEN WHO MADE “REAL” STRIDES IN HISTORY TO PASS UP TO LET THIS WOMAN GET SOME EXTRA SHINE.

(STEPS OFF OF SOAP BOX)

Interesting…this would make a great feature film if done correctly.

very strange… omg. omg. i do not no what to say. I am so shocked i am bewildered.

see what acid does?? itll kill u… damn. i kinda glad and i dont no if anyone can agree but im kinda glad i wasn ot born during those turbulent times… acid, lsd, all those narcotic type, like hypie drugs… the biggest drug during my youthhood was is like estacy, marijuana, i guess alcholo,,, my mom i like why dont u hang with ur friends u have no friends!! im like lol. if only u knew… id prob be strung out.

This is sad. But the true reality is that she isn’t the 1st Black Supermodel because she didn’t claim to be Black. So, its like she wrote herself out history because she didn’t claim her race to be BLACK. It’ unfortunate though, because she was very EXOTIC. I would not say she was naturally beautiful, because I just don’t see it. But, I will definitely say EXOCTIC. Also, most models aren’t naturally beautiful. But, you do have ones that are…ie: Beverly Johnson, Imani, Garcelle, Tyra, Eva (ANTM), and the list goes on…

sad that she didn’t want to embrace her OBVIOUS african heritage, she was a beautiful woman, but from what i’m reading she seemed like she was bipolar or something..i wanna see what her daughter looks like

i agree that she does look a lot like erykah badu, especially with that short hair s style. i actually had a cousin (she passed away a couple of years ago) who
hated being black and denied her heritage completely too.
she considered herself puerto rican - this in spite of the
fact that both her parents are black-and
emersed herself in their culture to the point of changing her name and
teaching herself to speak spanish fluently. sadder still is that she had a
bunch of children who she taught to think the same way (none of their fathers
are black, of course). i never knew there was anyone else out there
who thought or acted that way. i wonder where her daughter is.

This was very interesting.

Check out my blog for additional information on Donyale as well as a post on the first black actress! I’m glad to see conreteloop spotlighting her, I did on my blog during black history month.

@51: This would make a great movie. Who do you think could play Donyale?

Thank you Angel! I never knew this person ever existed! Her life needs to be made into a movie! What tragic success!
Scurv

@ 50. I think her life will be a good movie b/c its interesting and relevant to issues alot of black women/people deal with today.

I never said she should be revered or placed on a pedestal lol In fact I said the opposite. But why discount her life b/c you don’t agree with how she lived it? I think everybody has a right to have their voice heard not matter how ridiculous I think it is.

Hmmm interesting i’ve never heard of her until now its a damn shame that she hated herself though, thats why i love models like Naomi campbell ,Alex Wek and Iman who except themselves as they are and dont try to be anything different.

this woman was not playing with a full deck and her mom knew. it sounds to me she just did not want to be black or descibed as black. it had nothing to do with modeling. sounds like self hatred. she seems like she was just a mentally ill person who was in denial and needed help. she let the industry tell her that she is and was all that. no shoes in summer or winter??? wtf?? her mother was correct in not wanting her mentally challenged child to leave for new york. she got hooked on LSD and raved about how she liked it?? people did not reveal their drug abuse back then and they damn sure did not say “oh i love to get high as hell” not if you wanted to keep your job. she was the first black lady to cover vogue great . #45 was partially correct. why spotlight a black person who did not want to be black. yes she made vogue and as racist as the modeling business was back then, that was a big accomplishment. the business is still racist because there are not too many black models.

she does look like ms badu

That’s why I love CL. Yall don’t let shyt slide. lmao.

she was beautiful. she looks egyptian. and she seems so contemporary too. her story would make a great movie. and beyonce sho couldn’t get this part!!

>>>>>>>>>>>I had to scroll back up to see if this was a “BLACK HISTORY’”
>>>>>>>>>>>spotlight. and was shocked it was, WTF thsi b*tch dont even claim
>>>>>>>>>>>>being black so why should we claim her crazy amy winehouse ass!

goegeous! interesting story. i love y’all at CL. there’s always a “the more you know” lesson…

She reminds me of Erykah Badu a lil bit. Her free-spirited nature and facial characteristics resembles Erykah…
It’s sad that she hated being black though….she should’ve felt proud especially since being black is what made her famous in the first place

You learn something new everyday…Thanks Dakar and CL for the informative posts. Loves it!

WHY DOES THIS WEBSITE ALWAYS CLOSE DOWN MY BROWSER AND REDIRECT ME TO OTHER PAGES? I TOOK ME 3 ATTEMPTS TO READ THIS STORY IN FULL. WOW.

ANYWAY, INTERESTING STORY.

@ LENA

Ms Luna not embracing her African hertiage is the effect that American propaganda has on a lot of black people. It is the brainwashing of self hatred from the days of slavery that is perpetuated and passed down from generation to generation. You hear it all the time , so called good hair and light skinned etc. That’s why it amazes me why some people can’t see the long term effects that slavery has had on black people to this very day. Ms. Luna was a pioneer, opening the door for other women of color to the world of high fashion. It is such a tragedy that her life ended in such a senseless way. This statement might sound like a broad generaliztion, given that drugs are so rampant in society today but why is it that when black people start hanging with white people they seem to be sucked into the drug scene. I don’t care what anyone says they’re some drug taking motherf@#$ers. People………….party on but know your limitations and definitely know when to say NO!!!

so i hear that she neva admitted to bein black..
wel even she neva did…
itz great to see that she paved tha way for black super models.
however..Donyale was a weird chick..
but hey..those are tha ones who are super models ne wayz..lol
im glad i heard about her becuz i’d rather kno mor of our pplz hsitory than not to kno at all.

–>> J. DAKAR [[GREAT JOB]]..!!!!!

Some of you treat people on these blogs today like being black is a disease, you have your picks based on skin color , the award they recieve,how long or light the weave is and how much of their clothes they take off and just don’t be two shades lighter than beige with shory hair thenyou are ugly. You act like it is still a disease tody. Go back or check the other blogs and their comments, you even called Kim Porter ugly but if sh was high yellow no way , and if she and Didd had fronted like someone else we know is going to d and got married then you would respect her, so phony if you ot pregnant before geting married to save fce you are not better than anyone esle , this ish has played out!!!

Keep it coming each week Loop crew, this is better than alwys looking at these young folk idols (same folk everyday) and being pimped music that mysteriously leaked on the internet.Please.

This chick was a nutjob who wanted to be anything and everything but Black. Screw the times! Many Blacks, with a “whiter” appearance, survived those times without resorting to denying or compromising their “blackness”. How many 6′2″ Mexicans and Chinamen do y’all know? Peggy Freeman - Donyale Luna, my ass - was a lightskinned Black girl with an identity crisis. So sad that this still goes on today in the 21st century… Even sadder is that she’s bestowed the honorable distinction of being the “First Black Supermodel” when she clearly did not want to be Black, or consider herself Black, or sympathize and empathize with her fellow Blacks (Negroes at the time). She gets no props from me.

I heard about this chick and was disgusted about her feelings about her heritage. But I don’t know what it was like to grow up around that time. But yes she actually would have her white boyfriends tell people she was “mostly white” and she did wear blue contact lenses. Very sad.

J. DAKAR–Can you do a post about our ‘5 BLACK PRESIDENTS’? Many of us don’t know that a few, and maybe even more, had black blood in them.

They should do a autobiographical movie of her. I’s really be interested in knowing her life….I want to know more than the “Tyra Bankses” and the “Naomi Campbells”; I wanna see some REAL history.

some of ypu black americans kill me, what is the differnce b/w what she is doing and some of what goes on today- “why we have to be called african- american, when i’m not african. I am american.” she don’t want to be black and some of you don’t want to acknowledge that you are african- it’s sad

Damn! Sounds like Britney Spears before Britney Spears… confused as hell!

Never heard of her, She broke more barriers then Tyra Bragging Banks did.

She was beautiful but wait a minute. She would walk around with no shoes on her hands and knees saying she was from mars???? Thats nutso and then she died of a drug overdose at 34. Isnt that what the glamorous life is all about, I guess some things will never change.

LUNA MAY SHE REST IN PEACE, BUT SHE IS NOT DESERVING OF THE TITLE AS THE FIRST BLACK SUPERMODEL, BECAUSE IT SEEMED THAT SHE CARED MORE ABOUT HER CAREER, THAN THE PROGRESS OF HER PEOPLE IN SUCH A TURBULENT TIME IN AMERICAN HISTORY. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT SHE SUFFERED FROM SOME SORT OF DISORDER SUCH AS BIPOLAR, OR SCHIZOPHRENIA. BACK THEN PERSONALITY DISORDERS WERE CONSIDERED VERY TABOO, YOU WOULD BE SENT TO A MENTAL INSTITUTION IN THOSE DAYS EVEN IF YOU BREATHED IN A WEIRD WAY.

This Black History post doesn’t seem to have the same moving affects on me as the others did. Maybe it was because all the others actually embraced their blackness instead of trying to deny it. Or maybe it was because the others did something to better the black community as a whole. This girl had far more advantages than most and instead of using them she tossed them away. There’s no tragedy here. A 7 year old boy getting hit by his own school bus while his mother watches on in horror is a tragedy. A woman who’d rather lie about her ethnicity and find comfort at the end of the pipe is not a tragedy; it’s called inevitability.

This is an interesting Black History spotlight. I have never heard of her, and by looking at her modeling photos I can tell she was a natural at posing. Simply fabulous. It’s sad her career wasted away because of self hate. I think in addition to the self hate, it sounds like she had a mental disorder that wasn’t treated. It seems pretty obvious, since she was described as being very weird from a little girl through adult hood.

I agree with the posters that said it would be interesting to see her story translated on film. Her biography definitely isn’t politically correct, but it does present issues that people still battle today, which is denying their heritage. Plus, the fact that her life story is a hidden historical fact makes it even more intriguing.

Great post, J. Dakar. I stumbled upon “Luna” when trying to figure out if Bev Johnson was indeed the f-irst AA to be on Vogue. I’d love to see a Grace Jones post, Nina Simone, James Baldwin, Scipio Moorehead…

This is an interesting read. I’ve never heard of her before. Good looking out on the educational facts Concrete Loop!!

…and Phillis Wheatley

This entry was interesting because it highlighted how devoid of pride, self-worth, and self-knowledge black people (especially black women) must be to ascend that entertainment industry. Her denial of her “blackness” reverberates to this day with black people’s exaltation of their “multi-culturalism”, i.e. Tiger Woods, Halle Berry, etc. A coal-black negro will tell you how their great-great grandmother was 1/4 Japanese because they think it adds an exotic, positive aspect to their lineage. The fact of the matter is that they hope that if they can deny the truth to themselves, maybe the white man will accept them. Also, everything black represents negativity in this society. No disrespect to her, she was an attractive sister, but it’s easy to see how she was the “first black supermodel”. All one has to do is look at the magazine poses that she was doing and see that she was well acquainted with the different poses, i.e. the “eye of Molech” a.k.a. the “ok” sign. There hasn’t been one black woman to ascend into the heights of the entertainment industry that didn’t get turned out or started out turned out. Every last one of them either started out or became whores, drug addicts, lesbians, or married interracialy.

THankS cLOOP .. i never even heard of her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! this was very interesting !!!

I have to commend Concrete Loop on their professionalism as journalist. I think you guys posted some informative information. I also love the links attached. Great Stuff! You guys are on your global grind.

Very good information. I had her of The Luna Year but never knew who she really was.

You can’t really judge her for not wanting to be black. I’m not saying that she was right but that was a totally different day and age with a completely different racial climate that most of us couldn’t even imagine. That’s why I get so upset when people dog out Michael Jackson.

Today we are fortunate enough to have so many blacks to look to and be proud of however, this woman and others like her were the pioneers. They lived in a time when it was rare for blacks to be successful and accepted by the mainstream. Now perhaps some of these people weren’t strong enough to handle the overwhelming hardships that blacks had to endure and therefore wished that they could disassociate themselves from it. But who are we to judge them? THEY were the pioneers, THEY suffered the hardships of discrimination, THEY kicked down the doors making it easier for the generations that followed so that WE are able to hold our heads high today.

Look a little closer. After that cover, the industry would not allow the photographer responsible for that beautiful shot, to shoot her again. So, where is the break through. The Labron James vogue cover is thought to be inspired by a famous WWI recruiting poster from 1917, depicting a big black gorilla running off with a little white woman. You will be surprised at the simularities.

WoW! I loved this piece. She was so beautiful…she kinda reminds me of a throwback Erykah Badu, Naiomi Campbell mix. Great post.

I’d love to see a movie based on her life!!!

This was a very interesting and great Spotlight. I have never heard of her. There are so many interesting people in our history that people do not talk about and do not mention.

thanks concrete loop for going deep into the history of all kinds of people in our history

The sad thing, back then this was the thing to do. But today 2008 there are celebrities still passing. Paula Abdul, refuses to mention she is black. I don’t see how that goes over people heads. Katherine Zeta Jones is mixed too. I could only imagine being this woman back in the 60’s. Black wasn’t “beatiful” yet. This is a very interesting story. I’m going to do some research and find out as much as I can on ms. Luny, I meant ms. Luna.

if you want to see what her daughter looks like “google” Dream Cazzaniga” that’s her daugher name. she has very exotic features..

@45 I agree. I think it would be a great movie as long as they find the right person to direct and the right person to play her. For example that movie Gia with Angelina Jolie was terrific!

I definately see a great movie coming from her life story

From reading some of these post, it sounds like some are downing their blackness. By shouting out how beautiful she is sans black. You know the type. Always claiming to be indian or half of something else. Until they get that reality check, and find out there is no such thing as half when it comes to discrimination.

I think it’s important that we know about Luna. BUT, I don’t think she should be considered the 1st Black Model/Supermodel (Comment 41) anymore that Carol Channing (the Hello Dolly star who recently revealed her father was Black) should be considered the 1st Black person to star in a major Broadway production. This woman did NOTHING to lift, encourage or educate our community. She instead ran. She turned to a string of white men to “save her.” And when they didn’t, she turned to drugs. At least Ms. Channing has finally admitted to who she is!

I think the Luna story expertly highlights the “lunacy” (no pun intended) that accompanies self hatred. This should be a lesson for anyone who can’t accept who they are.

thank you conreteloop, this is amazing I think for us african americans out there and always hearing about prominent black successful people, I think she was overlooked, and misunderstood. In modeling we hear a great deal about Ms.Tyra Banks, and others…I think it is great!But I am shocked that I have never heard Ms.Luna’s story.Wow Hollywood should come running and make a tv movie this would be a great story..but to not damage Ms.Luna’s image and legacy but to recall some successful events for minorities in the ent. field of modeling and seeing what not to do with drugs…
GOD BLESS you all and feel free to hit me up

KEEP CHRIST FIRST ALWAYS as he has done with you

What is so amazing about a person who was mentally ill yet pretty? Hell Maia Campbell is pretty but mentally ill. Are you going to think that is amazing? Good Lord. This is some info that will not make any impact on anyone’s lives except to affirm how lots of blacks hate the fact they are black. Unless she lived during slavery I don’t see any reason why she would flee her own ethnicity.

judah you are on point brotha

LMAO & SMH @ THE FOLK WHO THINK HER “GLAM” LIFE SHOULD BE MADE INTO A MOVIE…

Donyale Luna’s daughter, Dream Cazzaniga, looks like a mix of both her parents. Here are two photos of her:
http://i26.tinypic.com/j7b6g6.jpg
http://i29.tinypic.com/15egrc8.jpg

This is such a sad story, thanls for sharing CL!

i’m sure her mommy is proud she looks like a white girl

Just because she has issues with her blackness doesn’t mean we should reject her. As proud black people it does hurt when someone who we see as a brother or sister rejects what we are so proud of.

Something to keep in mind when dealing with people who don’t claim blackness is that not everyone was born proud of their skin color. I think just about every black person has had their own personal struggle with their skin at some point in their lives. Not just being a black person, but being “the darkest one” or “the lightest one” or “having a big bottom lip” or whatever.

Some people come out on the other side of that struggle stronger, and some come out more confused. Don’t resent her for hating the way she was born. I can’t imagine how it must have felt for her to so strongly dislike herself.

Thanks Concrete Loop I love the spotlights.

well kick rocks. black is beautiful.

and why is every model described as tall and awkward?

or wierd

sad but very interesting.

I sat down and read the headline and proudly pumped my chest out. I thought I was going to have one of those many moments I’ve had before to be PROUD and to learn about my black history. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of those times. Instead, I got the opposite. I can’t quite say that I appreciate what she “accomplished”. To me it’s almost like she something for the white folks to show off as their very own Mutt! She would claim everything and anything but black. Wow!!! That breaks my heart to hear that. But to those who comment about the time difference, Don’t kid yourself becauce the same thing is happening now in front of our faces in this day in time. Plastic surgeons are making a killing from blacks as well as, others. More of my sisters abandon their features for that of European features, And don’t get me started about the hair or bleaching cream….Lawd help us, please. This is why I this bit of “Black History” disappointed me . And fortunately for me, I can find out on my own and don’t have to solely depend on other resources

Why is her story so new or interesting? Her story can be seen in many of the black entertainers today. As Judah points out, there hasn’t been one black woman that ascends to heights of the entertainment industry that hasn’t been turned out.

In fact, you can spot a black women who been indoctrinated in the Eurocentric philosophy. Her kinky hair is more relaxed; if short, she extends them with weaves and lightens her hair. Her outfits become more conservative. If she lacks breast, she gets them augmented. If she has too much hip, she gets them liposuctioned. If her back side is too big, she gets them slimmed down or toned up. Her complexions lightened and she tries her best to masked her afrocentric features, through cosmetic surgery.

On rare occasion you will find a black woman who adopted the Eurocentric creed, without changing her appearance. However, they too are easy to spot. They are often called bohemian. They are eclectic in their views and opinions. They hide under the guise that everyone should be loved and live peacefully. But, these women harbor strong resentment for their kind. They are heavy into drugs and all types of sexual deviances. This is the way of Eurocentricism…

The history of blacks is one or self-hate, deceit and mistrust. Many of you bloggers suffer from that same disease. You just don’t realize it.

I think this woman was absolutely stunning. However, she did have alot self hatred issues but there could be reason that drove her to be that way. I’m not trying to make any excuse for her but there are alot of celebrities who really didn’t want to be label as black because it was too painful mentally to take in. I wish she had someone to teach her to love and accept herself because she is absolutely beautiful. I also want to say that some people on here truly amaze me with their comments because most of the ladies and gentlmen on here criticize other black women and men who have very broad features. Such as Teyana. The comments on this young lady was heart wrenching. About her nose and lips and most of all her hair. Even with Estelle. So some of you guys trip me out rejecting Donyale Luna because she was out spoken about her self-hatred but some of you guys on here subconsciously don’t like yourselves. Shoot even fine ass Idris said that there were women who had didn’t want to date him because he was too dark. Black people make fun of each other’s afrocentric features and that is real talk.

@ BarbaraB, I cosign with everything you said. I personally don’t know how she felt and can only empathize for her. A Lost Soul, who grew up hating herself. Can you really blame her? This still goes on today and disowning someone is not resolving the self hate. Luna probably tried to use her odd behavior and quirkiness to hide her inner demons. I understand why they highlighted her as the first African American top model. The same type of odd behavior and quirkiness is what you see in today’s model and in fact the life of drugs.

What makes a person hate their reflection in the mirror? I bet this poor child was physically and mentally abused? Do any of you think she grew up in a loving, healthy, supportive enviornment? The majority of people who are weak and have endured abuse escape the harsh reality they live in by creating a world of illusion and fantasy. In addition, viewing her beautifuI pictures, I would have to suspect she was creative, which would have catogorized her as being different. Unfortunately, it is easier for us to accept someone like her in today’s society, than it would have been for our grandparents generation. To call her crazy as bat shit is cruel, God put her on this earth for a reason. Maybe it was to birth her daughter, maybe it was for the beautiful pictures she took, maybe it was to enlighten someones consciousness reading this article on CL. Whatever the reason, who are we to judge and criticize?

#88 Judah -
to your statement …..”There hasn’t been one black woman to ascend into the heights of the entertainment industry that didn’t get turned out or started out turned out”….

I have to acknowledge that I better understand your view on Oprah - you shared your opinion, I started to pay closer attention — and I completely understand where you were coming from…

Like I said, you have a deeper understanding that many folk can benefit from.

This woman clearly had some mental illness issues -
trying to be somebody other than who you are will always drive you crazy…
Her own family acknowledges that she was “weird as a child, even from birth”, and the LSD certainly didn’t help when she was older.

KUDOS!

Oh man, this was interesting, but very depressing.

Personally, one thing I like most about myself is being black. I love it. I’m black.

I feel bad for her, imagine not being happy about being black?

I know back in the day, being black wasn’t the best thing, but she disliked it to a point where she went crazy and died.

Fuck this bitch. She didn’t even admit to being black.

didn’t know this

@dats_da_truth wow prejudiced much? there’s nothing wrong w/being bohemian. it doesn’t mean you’re being white. if anything, bohemian nature is closer to native american than white but that’s beside the pt. you can’t go around generalizing. not all bohemians take drugs or have “sexual deviances”. most of the ones that i know don’t.

@tabby sorry to break it to you but paula abdul never was black. ppl thought she was and she probably didn’t say anything so that she could get black support but she’s syrian. and katherine zeta is white. she’s welsh.

I can’t believe so many of you are being so harsh on her for not owning her blackness. From what I’ve researched, her father beat her, as did an ex-boyfriend who was black, so that could be why she never wanted to be with a black man.
She did have mental issues, and she was a long-term heavy drug user. She died, broke and addicted to heroin, in 1979.

Let me also say that the “groundbreaking” issue of Vogue is nothing Vogue should be proud of - for Christ sakes, they’ve got her covering more than half of her BEAUTIFUL face with her hand. Ashamed to have a black woman on your cover, Vogue?

And Tyra Banks - can I come over and borrow a cup of EGO?
Donyale could out-model Tyra any day of the week.

I just come from her website. She was a beautiful woman! But why do so many fall into drugs? Sad.

agree w/ 7 & 1O
why should we honor her
she FRONTED on being black….

the nicest thing I can say is that the story WAS interesting….

She did appear to onloy be 1/2 black. She looks mixed with Mexican.

Wow! I’ve never heard of this woman before and I see alot of others havent either. She was goregous!

Oh, and she reminds me of Keri Hilson in some her photos.

Some of you need to consider the time period she grew up in, and why she felt they way she felt. It’s no excuse but it is something to be considered. Im sure during that time due to racism alot of ppl wanted to jump out their skin even if they didn’t want to admit it. Thats why people use to “pass”. This was very interesting Thank you Concreteloop im always open to learning more about history.

Thanks, this really was interesting. God made us how he wanted us to be. I hate to hear of people who do not want to be who they are.

Great job again CL!! J. Dakar great work!!

judah, are you refering to tyson?lol

Wow, and I always thought Iman was the first…

@97 she’s not half black she just a pretty white woman look at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Abdul

@97 again catherine just another pretty white woman

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Zeta-Jones

i read that eryka smokes marijuana. she is crazy as hell herself. that stuff is probably laced with something. she wears crazy clothes and the crazy hair. she claims she does not smoke marijuana, that it is another herb they found. “yeah, marijuana.” i hear it goes by many names. i hear the young kids talk about the many names. it all sounds sick to me. anything that will add on to your craziness, you should leave alone. actually drug abuse has been known to bring mental illness to the forefront in some people. it was already there, but the drugs made that person’s mental instability clear to others. btw mentally disturbed people think they are just fine and that everyone is just jealous of them or batty themselves.

Thank u for this info CL! Love the site and the focus on Black history makers.

I co-sign with #27.
This chick hated her heritage and NEVER claimed to be black so we shouldn’t celebrate her. I would rather call Beverly Johnson the first black model because at least she did it with pride.

iF YOU DO NOT CLAIM TO BE BLACK OR ARE ASHAMED (TIGER) SHOULD YOU BE CONSIDERED APART OF BLACK HISTORY?

Cl Thank you for these posts! They are educational…you all have stepped up your game.

PS

Black Girls Rock……..

I went to her website and she wasn’t all that to me. Her pictures are a work of art though. Her statement was right, she’s an artist not a model. I just see a skinny women with an overbite. Nothing striking about her at all. She could dress her ass off though. It’s funny to see the same thing they wore back then, they are wearing thi in 2008. I have a few of her outfits and wigs.

@Thinkaboutit

Sis, Oprah is a topic all to her own, lol. She had an episode highlighting and praising the white man’s newest abomination, transgender impregnation, but she cannot have an episode highlighting the government induced gang, drug, education, housing, and crime problems in the black community. Whatever money she donates is for interference purposes to hide the fact that she MUST follow the orders given to her by her caucasian backers or her closet will be opened.

wow, she reminds me of one of my friends. down to the face, the weird actions, and drugs, with the exception of the racial denial part. she is very interesting though. I would have loved to meet her. her daughter is very pretty.

That CHICK PEGGAH WASN’T LIGHT SKINNED. I WISH SHE COULD READ THIS NOW

IN THE WORDS OF HAPPO FROM THE COLOR PURPLE….YOU BLACK , YOU PO’ AND YOU UGLAH!

@144 Oprah is doing the something for the black community, she is a positive role model. Oprah had Bill Cosby on her show a few months ago. She is a Bill Cosby supporter. We all know the controversy Bill sparks. There where more blacks against his realness than for him. And with that said, Oprah is doing the right thing. The people that YOU, and I once thought, where the “black community” don’t want to do better. The ones that do, they go out and get what’s out there for them. There is all sorts of help concerning, gangs,housing and jail. You have to want to do better. I’m hittin all over the place, because I’m trying to say this nicely. Every nigger can not be saved. Nor do they want to. I’ve tried for years. You can try and try until your blue in the face. Some will get it and most won’t. I know one black person Oprah helped, that person is I. Now, I hear some of the same things people say about Oprah, minus her money being said about me. You can’t win. I hate the fact that some Black Americans think Oprah is the answer or problem because she has money. She is doing alright by god and that’s all right with me. Now the ones that should be blasted (black politicians) for not helping black aren’t. Oprah isn’t a politician, it’s not her job to make America a better place for blacks. And what’s wrong with following orders? In order to become a success, sorry, you have to listen to someone.

I think many of you missed the point. This women created her own elaborate heritage in an attempt to deny her blackness. She was not accepting all of cultural background (Mexican, Chinese, Indian etc); she down right lied about her background.

Even if she “tried” to hide her background, any one not on LSD at the time could tell she was black. It was all in her head. I don’t see Mexican when I see her. I see a black women with Indian in her family. Just like every other black with southern roots.

never heard of her, but interesting bio.

I think should would have sustained a successful career and life had she only took time to be comfortable with herself.

I knew about her from my professor who taught photography, He said he had the displeasure of meeting her when he was interning for a few different photographers in NYC. He said she was nuttier than a seven ton bag of squirrel poop. He said that Bev Johnson was the nicest of all the models he ever met though.

Thanks for everyone that visited my visited my site to see my old post on Donyale and my post on the first black movie star. I was torn between finding Donyale’s story interesting and also sad she did not embrace her black heritage and agree with a lot of you that a movie on her life story would be a great idea. The truth is although it’s sad she did not embrace her being black, she was not the only person during that time that did the same. Good job Concreteloop on your coverage!

YES!! I read about her several months ago after my mom and I had a debate on who the first Black supermodel was. Such a beautiful woman, such a tragic story.

Aa lot of people commenting don’t think this woman should be honored or part of a black history lesson but this article is on point. You can’t expect to only here the good that came from our history in America. I find this a good lesson to those who haite themselves b/c of their color. This is a good example of “look how far we’ve come but no so far at all”. Today, blacks still hate on one another, tear each other down b/c one is a red bone, too black, or looks like a white person. No matter what we as a people have to accept ourselves and leave the hate behind. I pity this woman who, as the article stated, at the beginning of her life was “weird” b/c of her dreams. It touched me b/c I was a big daydreamer and people like that aren’t always accepted in our community. It was hard for me in my younger school days b/c of the way I talked and my interest in art, poetry and so on… things most blacks are not interested in. I.E. no one wants to listen to opera with me or to go see one. This woman was born too soon. Had she been born today she most likely would not have had the same feelings about her heritage. But I won’t say she would have completely embraced her heritage b/c, as I said before, many of us can’t do that at present. Use this as a lesson a way to teach our young self love, black love.

WOW!! this was one cool ass article!! Very intresting

I like this article. shows and tells how black people felt back then.

I’m up early posting because I’m restless on the topic of Dr. King and many of our other slain heroes.

Dr. King once remarked to Jesse Jackson and I must paraphrase “I wonder if I am leading my people into the fire” meaning his non-violent turn the other check approach and integration of backs with whites would cause blacks a greater deal of suffering.

Fast forward 40 years later and Dr. King understood his approach needed to change and his message of “acceptance” into the white world could not be further from what he envisioned.

As “minority” we can’t simply want acceptance, we must want equality, we must want the same freedoms of those who enjoyed the fruits of our ancestors(black and brown)We must seek to remove all traces of ignorance and racism by first rebuilding our selves back to the Kings and Queens that we are.

We have allowed ourselves to be prostituted on television, our misery and ignorance has helped to water the seed of racism, we must pull the weed of racism from the Earth by reclaiming the knowledge of self and refusing to stand for the nonsense that we see today.

Men, we must live up to our title as men, we can no longer sit back and watch our women suffer and our babies grow in a world where ignorance reigns. Kings reclaim the thrown that has vacant for too long.

Women, stop answering to the call of bitch and hoe and be the strong, nurturing Queen that you are. Our youth are suffering because we lead them astray by the bs we put out on television and radio. Queens rule side by side with us so we can build a foundation that will last an eternity.

The world of today is not what Dr. King, Malcolm X, Marcus Garvey, Fred Hampton, John Africa, and many others have died for. Obama 2008 Yes We Can, of course we can but do not look to others for help, look in the mirror, look at your children, this is where it starts. We have a voice that must be heard!!!

quita in the S.K.Y with diamonds
Thursday, April 3, 2008 /

i’ve done a lot of research on her cool ass. her ass did not ever like or admit to being black. she’s a forgotten traitor. screw her.
—

I have to laugh at talk like this. You want to attack people who suffer from this self hatred but you don’t want there to be such a problem. This woman was born and raised in an era in American culture that you will never know. She wasn’t a teenager or young girl with women of color like Beyonce and Ciera and Halle Berry. She didn’t have a lot of role models out there that said to respect and love who you are and your skin color. Instead of bashing her, questioning her “authenticity” to be a pick for Black History month, perhaps you can learn from her life. There are people out there that hate themselves for any number of reasons. Attacking them for it doesn’t help anything. When will people in the Black community understand that you can do a hell of a lot more with LOVE than you can do with hate. Grow up already.

LOOK at the Vogue cover, people!
I’m still wondering why no one has mentioned the fact that she is hiding her face on the “groundbreaking” cover of Vogue.
Geez, if the photographer, editor, or whomever it was told her to cover more than half her face with her hand, that would definitely send a signal that owning her blackness was not cool with them.
Seems like too many people are not even thinking about the era in which this woman lived. It was a LOT different.
I don’t know if Luna had flipped her lid or was just trying to keep the work coming in. Or both.
Cut her some slack.

youtube video with Donyale…kind of strange…but you can see what a graceful beauty she truly was:

i can’t believe you didn’t talk abut joséphine baker !!

She’s beautiful.

Wow, I don’t know the age group that participates on this website, however it is quite apparent that the bloggers are young and don;t have a complete education on racial times or black history. Okay let’s go the media during the sixties was quite racist and still is. Tupac let you know that. Her appearance to Judy Stone the author of the Times a RUSSIAN JEW IN 1968… in a blonde wig and contacts was SATIRE Look white woman and America I am a white woman NOW, Take my Picture.. Josephine Baker deployed the same thing in the thirties… How about in the blog it tells you that she was not recruited to include ethnic beauty or celebrate it.. Segregation was still in place when a Sketch of her appeared on Harpers Bazaar and the photographers and Magazine was threatened by the REDNECK subscribers to cut the minstrel show!!! ANd they cut her from work and her achievement immediately, Black people did not show up to attack them for it or defend her. Why because she didn’t seem to resemble them enough either and to be a model was frowned on by out race it was considered low class . Oh yea and we still take issue with pigment and hair as a race..Black Movement took place in 1968 after she was gone to Europe like so many of our artists prior to her.. How bout there was no Black solidarity or African-American, Black is Beautiful prior to this.. How about the NAACP did not like the term BLACK and wanted to continue to be Negro or colored? How about this woman didn’t have a Black Agent or manager like Berry Gordy? Nor did she have a crew to protect her, no people like hip hop has!!! Her father was dead and could not see about her like Beyonce’s dad. She came from Detroit which was hard because she was different she was tall and had interests in the arts , not a popular thing growing up, because you know we tease to hell. And I do not believe the WHITE RACIST WRITERS THAT HER FAMILY CALLED HER WEIRD TO THEM!!! They don;t give a name of the family member, do they? SHIT people in the neighborhood would have been proud that her ass was on a cover of a BIG TIME magazine for white people only until her!!!!!!She managed to TRAILBLAZE on her own and get more money per picture than any other woman in the world NOT just AMERICA and its white chicks!! How bout it is true that she didn’t want to answer each interview from sarcastic, ugly white people about her family and heritage. Nor did she want to be advocate of the racism that they set forth, she was spiritually enlightened ALL people of color she have opportunity.. And who is really trapped Black people are the only race that cuts down those that proceeded them and that is the only reason we are DISRESPECteD by other races… This woman did something that paved the way for there to be a Beverly Johnson and she immediately played the game and trashed her.. Which is what the White man knows we will always do..Yea , she saw opportunity for herself.
And her achievements do not match this womans!!!! FASHION IS BIGGER IN EUROPE!!!!!and always has been. This woman did her own Makeup which was EGYPTIAN from the day she stepped out!!!!! AND she was only 20 years old alone in other countries in a completely white industry alone and managed to deliver to you a open door domestically and internationally to style in and produce art in. I think it would be good to start reading some books about what people had to endure to give your generation a future. This woman lost her life trying to give you an opportunity to live a little easier and freer.. And what do you do LYNCH them for it when they are dead… UNBELIEVABLE???

All those black people putting her down have no idea why she hated being black. Read her biography - she had a very abusive black father - Duh!!

I find it extreme double standards that black people can attack her, when her very own views on being black are shared by millions of ordinary black women today. How many times do black women spew brainwashed garbage like “she’s too pretty to be black” or “is she mixed with something?” When a black woman is dark skinned, or has kinky hair or something like that, all kinds of vulgar and dirty statements are made against her.

Like everyone went on a witch hunt against Soulja Boy (Africa/slavemaster comments) and Yung Berg (dark skinned women), but the fact remains that many black people hold those beliefs they purported.