15 Women We All Wanted To Be When We Grew Up

Nia Long

Nia Long was everyone’s favorite Around the Way Girl. We all wanted to be as cool and laid back as Debbie from Friday or date Larenz Tate like Nina Mosley in Love Jones. And way before Jennifer Aniston hit the scene, Nia had us headed to the salon to cut it all off for a sleek, slicked down ‘do.

Vanessa Williams

Did you spend just as much time in the mirror as you did singing in the shower? Was your favorite part of going to church getting dressed up? Then you probably had at least one Vanessa Williams poster in your room. Vanessa brought grace and style to the stage and screen and inspired women to hold themselves up to a higher standard.

Clair Huxtable

If you had a play house and a play briefcase growing up, you probably wanted to be Mrs. Huxtable. Who didn’t? Clair had a booming law career, was married to a doctor and raised the funniest family on TV.

Whitley Gilbert

Whitley Gilbert represented for all of us who’d ever been called “bougie,” “BAP,” or “princess” and weren’t shamed. She let us know that there was nothing wrong with bringing 16 suitcases to your Freshman dorm or trying to introduce your classmates to the beauty of Monet.

Angela Bassett

It’s never too late to have a role model. Angela represented for all of us who knew that one day we’d rise above the drama and celebrate a new day. And she probably got more than one woman in trouble for beating a man with a boot or setting his car on fire when she finally decided that enough was enough.

Naomi Campbell

Some of us knew it was our way or the highway at a very young age. If that sound like you, we bet you dreamed of growing up to be just as fabulous as The Grand Diva. Naomi ruled the runway and the red carpet with style and zero apologies. And  we weren’t mad at her.

Queen Latifah

Jackée Harry

Whether you watched “227” or “Sister, Sister”, Jackée was your girl. She kept it real while keeping everyone laughing. Her characters were beautiful, funny and didn’t need a man to help them define their place in the world.

Cree Summer

“That’s a Different World like Cree Summer…” Just when you were starting to wonder if you were the only black hippie/nerd/animal rights activist in the world, Cree let you know that you weren’t alone. We all felt a little more comfortable in our own shoes after Cree hit the scene. And she helped lots of us trade in our perms and press-ons for maxi skirts and patchouli oil.

Janet Jackson

There were a lot of Janet Jacksons to look up to. You could be Ms. Jackson if you were nasty or the girl next door from “Poetic Justice.” Whatever your style, Janet Jackson was an inspiration to us all.

Alice Walker

Some of us spent more time reading than watching TV. Reading The Color Purple inspired a lot of women to put pen to paper, grow out their locks and explore their creative sides.

Lauryn Hill

From the “Fugees” to “Miseducation,” Lauryn helped us all embrace natural hair, black pride and a jazzy-cool sense of style. Lauryn lead a lot of us to poetry cafes, political activism and the mic. She was a powerful voice of our generation, even if she didn’t always get her bills paid.

Erykah Badu

Erykah brought out the Baduizm in a lot of women. We wrapped our hair, rocked chunky silver jewelry and embraced our funkier selves. If you’ve ever scatted out a tune or traded in your tracks for an Afro wig, you have Ms. Badu to thank.

Shug Avery

Do you know almost all the words to “The Color Purple?” Then like most of us, you probably looked up to Shug. She wasn’t afraid to live out loud or stand up to Mister. Even if sometimes we felt like Celie we dreamt of shining like Shug.