Style, grace, poise and general fineness should always be appreciated — especially when it comes out of the woodwork. Then, it just hits different. Whether due to losing a job, starring in an independent film or being caught by a popular blog, several beautifully melanated folks came out of nowhere to make our eyes pop, in 2019.
1. Kerion Washington
Can you imagine a job interviewer saying you won’t be hired because of your well-kept locs? That’s what happened to Kerion Washington when Six Flags Over Texas refused to hire the teen. The interviewer told him his hair was an “extreme hairstyle” and he could only be considered after cutting them. Kerion’s mother, Karis, naturally took offense and posted about the outrageous incident. The post racked up likes and shares and a local news station picked up the story.
The saying, “what’s for you is for you” definitely applies here because all the exposure led Kerion to snag a modeling contract with Jones Model Management.
2. Olajumoke
Nigerian artist Tinie Tempah had returned home to shoot a video and found a star in the making. Singer and photographer Ty Bello went along on the trip and happened to catch a stunning woman carrying loaves of bread. The photo caused the internet to put out an APB for the mysterious beauty and 27-year-old Olajumoke Orisaguna was discovered. Within days she was signed to Few Modeling Agency.
3. Jodie Turner-Smith
Jodie Turner-Smith burst onto the scene this year after starring in 2019's provocative hit Queen & Slim. Her performance, skin and cheekbones almost stole the show and now fans can't get enough. The former banker turned model and actress was encouraged to move to Los Angeles after a chance meeting with Pharrel Williams. Since then, her star has been steadily rising.
4. Zozibini Tunzi
Beautiful and brown with a fly natural hair cut, 2019's Miss Universe, Zozibini Tunzi is the beauty queen we deserve. The 26-year-old South African has dazzled the world with her looks and her poise. Understanding the significance of her win, she told CBS This Morning Podcast, that she wore her natural hair despite being pressured to wear weave or a wig.
"So I decided to keep it this way because I really wanted to send out a message of, ‘but this is beautiful, too.’ It's different, but it's beautiful," she said.
5. Jonathan Majors
The Last Black Man In San Francisco has garnered critical praise and racked up numerous awards. The story of a young Black man who desperately tries to return to his childhood home is filled with brilliant performances and amazing cinematography. But it's also filled with the surprise snack that is Jonathan Majors. An accomplished thespian, Majors’ breakout roll not only showcased his artistic range but also his movie-star smoldering looks. There's nothing sexier than talent.
6. Halima Aden
Model Halima Aden is no stranger to groundbreaking accomplishments, including being the first woman to wear a hijab in the Miss Minnesota USA pageant. However, 2019 catapulted her visibility like never before when she became the first woman to appear in Sports Illustrated in a hijab and burkini.
Aden, who came to America as a young refugee from Kenya, told Sports Illustrated just how surreal it was to shoot the campaign in her home country.
“I keep thinking [back] to six-year-old me who, in this same country, was in a refugee camp,” she said. “So to grow up to live the American dream [and] to come back to Kenya and shoot for SI in the most beautiful parts of Kenya–I don’t think that’s a story that anybody could make up.”
