Vintage black glamour by nichelle gainer

Nichelle tells me about growing up in South Jersey in the 70s and 80s and why when it comes to her hair - you get what you pay for.

We talk about the “It Girls” of the Harlem Renaissance like A’Lelia Walker and Blanche Dunne, roles black actresses have had to take in Hollywood, and the importance of keeping these stories alive for future generations. I learn about the history of black beauty pageants, the ‘Four Goddesses’: Josephine Baker, Lena Horne, Dorthy Dandridge and Ertha Kitt and why they’ve been able to maintain icon status decades later. We discuss how what started out as a research project for a novel inspired by her great aunt, Mildred Taylor, a model in the 1950s evolved into the Vintage Black Glamour Tumblr site in 2011. I’m joined by Vintage Black Glamour author, the fabulous Nichelle Gainer - a self-described “black history encyclopedia”.