Naomi Sims, sometimes referred to as the first black supermodel, has died of cancer. She was 61.
Sims said childhood insecurities inspired her to become “someone really important”. She attended the Fashion Institute of Technology where counselors and classmates encouraged her to give modeling a try. Every agency turned her down, however, some even telling her that her skin was too dark.
Sims then decided to try a different approach. She began directly contacting photographers herself and within a year she was earning $1,000 a week and modeling for top designers such as Halston, who told the New York Times in 1974, “Naomi was the first. She was the great ambassador for all black people. She broke down all the social barriers.”
Hollywood took an interest in her and offered her the title role in the movie Cleopatra Jones in 1972, but Sims was appalled by the racist portrayal of blacks in the movie and turned it down. The following year, she retired from modeling and created a successful wig collection. It expanded into a multimillion-dollar beauty empire, and Sims authored a number of books on modeling and beauty.
Sims is survived by her son, Bob Findlay, a granddaughter, and sister, Betty Sims. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.
I AM SO SAD TO HERE THIS NEWS. I HAVE ALWAYS ADMIRED NIAMO FOR THE STANCE ON CLEOPATRA JONES IN THE BLACKPLOTATION ERA. SHE WAS TRULEY AN ICON.
THIS IS VERY SAD, IT SEEMS LIKE THE SUMMER OF DEATH, EVERYBODY IS DYING
Couldn’t have agreed with you more #1.
It seems like alot of celebs are dropping like flies!
Rest in PEACE.
R.I.P
Her drive inspires me. Sad that she’s gone.
WE ARE LOSING SOME OF THE BEST PEOPLE TO EVER TOUCH THIS EARTH…. IT WAS SUCH A BLESSING TO HAVE HER BREAK THE UNBREAKABLE…THANKS FOR LEAVING YOUR MARK AND OPENING DOORS FOR MANY OTHERS…RIP YOU WILL BE MISSED AND NEVER FORGOTTON
Co-sign number 1. I’d also like to thank Concrete Loop for making posts like this, even when people show it a lot less interest than Rihanna walkiing out of a restaurant! She was amazing, I’m inspired for the day.
* ‘she’ meaning Naomi Sims, not Rihanna*
Awww i just heard the news from a friend so sad I didn’t even know she had cancer
R.I.P.
I cosign with everyone up top. RIP, Ms. Sims.
So sad…
-sidebar…. CL, do you really have to put “Dead” like that? it’s so creepy!
These celebs are dying too young. Cancer is no joke. I am proud of my church congregation for taking part of a cancer study by MD Anderson hospital that trying to find out why is that african americans are more prone to cancer than any other race.
A true pioneer and woman of character lost. I also admired and respected her stance against the Cleopatra Jones film. Some of today’s celebs could learn a lot from her in regards to standing for what you believe in and having morals and fortitude as opposed to selling out for the almighty dollar all of the time (regardless of social and moral implications).
R.I.P.
@ 10 you know, it’s not just them, and I’ve always had a problem with news reporting a death like that. It reads so harsh. Anyways, RIP Ms. Sims
UNFORTUNATLY,
THIS IS THE THEARD THAT WILL GET THE LEAST AMOUNT OF COMMENTS. SOMEONE WHO HAS BROKEN DOWN BARRIERES, SOMEONE WHO DIDN’T FOLLOW A FORMULA, AND SOMEONE WHO STOOD IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY AND SAID YOU CAN JUST TURN AROUND ON YOUR HEELS AND GET BACK BECAUSE “I AIN’T GOING NO WHERE”, SHE WILL NOT GET THE HONOR AND RESPECT SHE DESERVES BECAUSE OF A “RI-RI” SIGHTING !
Yeah, it does seem like we are losing a lot of icons, all with the course of 2 months. No wonder this summer so far doesn’t feel like an actual summer. I for one have never heard of Naomi Sims, but I can certainly see she had a legacy. I for one am an aspiring black male model, and even in 2009 I am learning black models still don’t get enough recognition. I’ve actually been to a FORD casting call where it was 4 males trying out (3 were black-including me, one was white), and only the white guy was considered. It gave me a hard dose of reality, but makes the drive for me even bigger. What I am going through is the same thing Naomi Sims, Tyra, Tyson, Iman, and other famous black models went through.
SHE WAS EXTRMELY PRETTY, THE PHOTO WHERE SHE IS LYING DOWN SHE LOOKS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS!
SO MANY PEOPLE DYING!
Very sad. She was truly a pioneer. Cancer is no joke! People, please go to your check ups and get anything checked out you think is ‘strange’. Cancer runs rampant in my family of all kinds and has taken so many.
An inspiration. I read about her in a book on the perception of black beauty. Remember, 1000′s of people die everyday, it just seems like ‘everyone is dying’ because the world between us, who are interested in celebs & the celebs themselves seem very small.
RIP
She opened the doors for alot of black women in the modeling world. Before there was Tyra, Naomi Campbell, Iman, and even Beverly Johnson (who also made a hairline)… there was Naomi Sims. May she Rest In Peace
She was definitely a great lady and a great ambassador for all people of color. My condolences to her family.
She will truly be missed…
SHE IS BEAUTIFUL..NEVER KNEW OF HER BUT SHE IS STUNNING!!!
THAT LIFE COVER IS ICONIC ….WHY CANT WE SEE MORE OF THIS KIND OF CHOCOLATE BEAUTY ON THE COVERS OF MAGAZINE?
…..RIP..
(gone to educate myself about her life and achievements)
Wow! She was beautiful and her story is truly inspiring.
Fantastic post. Very sad loss.
WOW. I had no idea that she was such an influential person on the modeling industry. Tyra should’ve schooled us on this via Top Model. May she rest in peace. Prayers for her family.
This is so unfortunate. I pray for her family. This is what a true model is all about. Damn those those ANTM chicks, they aint real models and didn’t work no where near as hard. Naomi is and was another barrier breaker that helped paved the way for AA models today. Thanks Naomi! Catwalk in Heaven!
@14 Katz
I couldn’t agree with you more. This thread will get the least amount of posts when she is party responsible for the other black chicks CL and other blogs post about every 5 seconds. And none of them broke down barriers for nothing. Oh well…
My thoughts and prayers go out to her family. Love her andnot because my name is Naomi too lol
Because of her, all these other young black ladies can dream without feeling shutout or shutdown
R.I.P.
So many dying from cancer…
Wow, Rest In Peace Ms. Sims.
<33.
@#11 H-TOWN CHICK:
In response to your question about higher rates of cancer amongst African Americans…one theory is that we have much higher deficiencies in Vitamin D…an essential nutrient for people of African descent, particulalrly those living far from the equator. I’d try googling African Americans and Vitamin D. Here’s just one of many articles: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/painter/2009-04-19-your-health_N.htm
A person on a message board I was on a while back went on a tangent about this that I thought was interesting and worth researching further, so I save it. It’s posted below if you are interested:
“An Egregious Inequality in our health care in this country is the medical neglect to counsel people of color on their increased need for Vitamin D3 supplementation at this Northern latitude, as this group exhibits substantially higher incidence of cancers, autoimmune disease, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, diabetes and the myriad of other disorders that mark the deficiency in this quasi vitamin (actually a steroid) which has more than 3,000 receptors in the human genome. Rickets has returned to the Black community because of this (too much indoor activity has pushed the deficiency in black children past the threshold, while white children get barely enough D from brief sun exposure), Ignorance of this basic physiological need has cost countless lives in the higher melanin pigmented populations. I have a hard time believing that this incompetency is entirely accidental, as D deficiency is a grand money maker in the pharmaceutical world, with the Docs being the ones who are carefully trained to never prescribe D to anyone until it is already too late, and even then in inadequate doses. I would like to see a grand wave of lawsuits pressed by blacks who were never advised to supplement D and even told to avoid the sun, and consequently developed the above conditions. It is a grander tragedy than the Tuskegee experiments and has definitely weighed an unequal illness burden on dark skinned individuals in this country. ”
**Either way, I’d recommend taking a daily vitamin D supplement (some say of at least 1,000 international units) as new research suggests this may be essential to the fight to help prevent diseases like cancer.
I am sooooooooo sad to hear this. This year has been too much to bear. Sure there were highlights but with the black celebs and other celebs dying it is like WHAT.
Now I never knew much about Ms.Sims and yes it is a shame becasue no one taught us about her. Tyra has a platform to do this so another person who commented on here said it perfectly why is she not schooling people on this via her tacky show or ANTM.? She should be ashamed of herself. She is like some ding bat and now I see why so many of our people look on her like she is a clown.
To Ben: Keep moving forward. Do not STOP, Keep on keeping on. I as an actor understand all to well with what you speak of. I cannot tell you how many times I have been called to auditions and have done a stellar job and who do they give it to……………….. a white girl who is not nearly half as good as me. That is why it is imperative that we start forming our won like Bollywood Hollywood. Where models like you are modeling and actors like me are acting.
What a tragedy…
Her death comes just one day before the 35th anniversary of fellow trailblazing black female model Beverly Johnson’s apperance on the cover of Vogue magazine.
It is an appropriate time to look back at the women who set the stage for the Naomi Campbells and Tyra Banks’ of today.
very sad news.
2009 is a very sad year, i feel like
alot of ppl are dying this year.
so so sad.
RIP. Naomi Sims
Truly An Inspiration.
We will never be given the recognition for are true beauty because we put each other down so much. There is one website known for doing nothing but putting people of color down. I will not name it but I am sure you’ve been there. When we get back to the I’m Black and I’m Proud stage we will never get anywhere.
RIP, Naomi Sims.
SMDH @ #15… WHAT A SHAME THAT IS!!! RIP MS.SIMS, SAD TO SAY I DONT THINK THEY WORLD WILL BE NON-DOUBLE STANDARD NOR NON-COLOR BLIND. SAD BUT TRUE.
COME & FOLLOW ME TWITTER.COM/SHOEFIENDISH
This is very sad. Another pioneer has passed. She truly kicked down the doors for the models who would follow after her. R.I.P. Ms. Naomi Sims ( I all ways thought it was spelled with two M’s).
GEESH I MEANT THE WORLD lol
This is a very sad sad sad summer all of these celebirties dying left and right. I think God wanted his children more than we needed them here on this earth. All I can say is that they are not suffering and they are in a better place.
Rest In Peace Naomi Sims.
RIP
We have lost so many trailblazers!
RIP
RIP….Mrs. Sims
rip……sad she had to deal with the whole light-dark skin issue early in her life. your beautiful pictures will live on!
Naomi Sims was such a beautiful woman. Wow. This summer is one for the pitts. I cant believe all these beautiful people are dying. Must be something wicked in the air cause this really dont make any sense.
Thank you Naomi for breaking barriers and setting standards. May god bless your soul.
awww so sad. she was so beautiful and look classy. that is what is missing these days. RIP
blessings to her family!!!!
now she is a true supermodel. dont let tyra fool u.
Rest in peace Beautiful Naomi Sims
you will be forever admired
Wussup with all the famous people dying?
oh nooo! she died? and she still looked gorgeous with age. R.I.P, Naomi.
Rest In Peace Ms. Sims
R.I.P NAOMI……..
So sad to hear. I saw this on the news this morning. 61 isn’t old these days….RIP.
She was a very beautiful women. I am so sad RIP Ms Sims.
I meant woman
RIP to Miss Naomi Sims.I did not know too much about you, but reading this tidbit about you says you made a huge difference in the modeling world.
I know people keep saying well this is the summer of death, but in reality its the natural cycle of life.Nobody is invincible so lets cut that out.
Thanks for this article J. Dakar. Thanks for keeping us in the loop!
@La Verite: Thank you for the Vitamin D post. I can appreciate anyone giving information on health to enlighten our brothers and sisters. Vit D deficiency is a senseless deficency because Vit D so relatively available in other forms milk, sunlight, over the counter tablets etc. People take care of your body. Treat it like a temple. Exercise moderately, eat balanced meals, drink milk water, cut the saturated fats( fried foods).
Sleep well princess!
Elegant dark skin beauty and trail blazer. RIP
Wow…she looks almost exactly the same in the newer and older pics!! sad news, cancer is such a terrible disease.