Tracey Norman facts for kids

Tracey "Africa" Norman, also known as Tracey Africa, is an American fashion model. She is known as the first African-American trans woman model to become famous in the fashion world. Tracey is from Newark, New Jersey. She has worked as a model and been featured in magazines like Essence, Vogue Italia, and Harper's Bazaar India. Tracey Norman also had her life story and picture on the cover of New York Magazine.

Tracey Norman's Early Life

Tracey Norman was born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1952. From a very young age, Tracey felt that she was a girl. She said, "I always felt inside, since far back as I can remember, that I was female." As a child, she watched women in her life, like her teachers and family members. This helped her learn feminine ways.

Tracey was a shy and quiet child. She was the first person in her family to finish high school. When she was in middle school, she and her family lived through the Newark Riots. She remembers seeing army tanks on her street. Her family lived in the Weequahic neighborhood, which had many Jewish people.

Tracey mostly lived with her mother while growing up. For a few years in middle school, she lived with her father. After middle school, she moved back with her mother. She did not see her father again until later in life. In junior high, her art teacher, whom she admired, showed her the world of theater. She even met the famous actress Pearl Bailey.

Both of Tracey's parents were professional bowlers. They met at a bowling alley in Newark. They would take Tracey and her sister bowling when they were young. Her parents worked many different jobs. Her mother later got a job in the County Food Stamp Department. She worked there for 25 years. In the summer, Tracey would visit her family in North Carolina.

In high school, Tracey went to North Tech. She learned how to work on cars there. This was a separate learning experience for boys and girls. Her interest in cars started when she was younger. She would drive her grandfather's car. On her high school graduation day in 1972, she told her mother she was a woman. Her mother was very supportive and showed her "unconditional love." This was a very important moment for Tracey.

Tracey Norman's Modeling Career

Starting Her Career

In 1975, Tracey Norman was discovered. She had gone into a photo shoot with fashion photographer Irving Penn. He took her picture for Italian Vogue. Soon after, her picture appeared on the box of Clairol’s "Born Beautiful" hair color. It was shade No. 512, Dark Auburn.

Tracey is a transgender woman, but she kept this private at the time. She signed a special contract with Avon for a skin care line. In 1980, she was on a photo shoot for Essence magazine. The assistant to her hairdresser, André Douglas, found out about her birth gender. He told the editor, Susan Taylor, who was also there. Because of this, her photos were not published. No company would work with her anymore.

At this time, Tracey decided to move to Paris. There, she signed a 6-month contract with Balenciaga. After that contract ended, Tracey found it hard to get work in Milan. She moved back to New York. There, she signed with the Grace del Marco Agency. This agency did not give her much work. Tracey thought her modeling career was over. Since then, she has been active in the drag ball community. She was even put into the ballroom hall of fame in 2001.

Her Career Comes Back

In December 2015, New York Magazine's fashion website, "The Cut," wrote a story about Tracey Norman. After this story, Clairol contacted Tracey. In 2016, they announced that Tracey Norman would be the face of their 'Nice 'n Easy Color As Real As You Are' campaign.

Heather Carruthers, a director at Clairol, said the company was "honored to bring back Tracey Norman." She said Tracey was a woman who no longer had to hide her truth. The campaign showed the "confidence that comes from embracing what makes you unique." It also showed how natural color can help you express yourself freely.

In 2016, Norman and Geena Rocero made history. They became the first two openly transgender models to be on the cover of an edition of Harper’s Bazaar. Tracey Norman also did a commercial for Lexus. She was also in the movie "Lady Seven Sings." In 2016, the Queer Newark Oral History Project interviewed Norman. She has had much success since her interview with New York Magazine. She has done many interviews and jobs. She has been interviewed by the London Times and Marie Claire of South Africa.

Tracey Norman's Personal Life

Tracey Norman says she felt different for as long as she can remember. In a cover story for New York Magazine, she said, "it just seemed like I was living in the wrong body. I always felt female." For Tracey, life at home and school was not easy. Her father was battling cancer. She was afraid to tell her family about herself.

Even though she was nervous, she was relieved when her mother hugged her. She felt safe and at home. Her mother told her she had always known. After telling her family, she wanted to start her transition. This was not an easy process. She remembers buying her first dress at S. Klein department store. It was green with floral prints. She wore a size 16, but later lost a lot of weight. As she continued her transition, she developed a strong sense of fashion. She especially loved mule-style shoes.

A few years into her transition, Tracey Norman met an old classmate. This classmate had gone through a similar transition. It took a little longer for her to fully feel her feminine identity. It was not until a full year after her graduation that she felt like she could be seen as a woman in public during the day.

After transitioning, she started going to local queer Newark bars and clubs with her friends. Places like Le Joc and Murphy's were popular. Le Joc was very popular among models. Norman met many famous models there. However, she did not love going out to the bars. Most people there were gay men, and she did not feel welcome. She felt that her identity as a woman was not accepted.

In a 2021 interview with the LGBTQ&A podcast, Norman said she does not call herself a transgender woman. She says she is just a woman. She feels the media has used the term "transgender" for her identity. She simply identifies as a woman and always has. She says "transgender means society is putting you in a category." Tracey Norman loves animals, especially dogs. She also does not drink or smoke. She lives a sober life.