There were other models before her, but Helen Williams was the first black model to cross over into mainstream. Helen Williams was born in East Riverton, New Jersey in 1937. With her love of fashion, she began sewing her own garments at the age of seven. At 17, Williams worked as a stylist at a New York photography studio. She was spotted on separate occasions by Lena Horne and Sammy Davis Jr, who happened to be in the studio doing press shots. They encouraged her to pursue a career in f[...]