Despite the fact that Black women are rarely recognized for their numerous contributions to this country and the world, as Black women ourselves, we must ensure that the younger generation doesn’t forget the glamorous, brilliant and accomplished Black women who came before them. Apparently, “black-ish” actress Yara Shahidi’s parents are making sure she can point to women who look like her for inspiration. Recently, the soon-to-be sixteen year old posted an image of singer Sade on her Instagram page. And shortly afterward, an image of herself dressed like her.
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Pretty spot on. Check out the other celebrities who have paid tribute to the iconic, Black women who have come before them.
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Yaya DaCostsa —> Pam Grier
I know some folks probably looked at Yaya’s Instagram post and got in their feelings, thinking she was appropriating someone’s culture. (Elsewhere on Yaya’s page, it seems like she alludes the fact of being partially Native American.) But the real reason behind the picture was to pay homage to Blaxploitation actress Pam Grier who donned a similar headpiece back in the day…when cultural appropriation wasn’t a national conversation.
Solange —> Patrice Rushen
While plenty of Black girls rocked beads back in the day, many of us didn’t get to wear this many. Personally, I know my momma couldn’t take the noise. So perhaps folks thought Solange was trying to capture a bit of her childhood. But when you see the picture of “Forget Me Nots” singer Patrice Rushen, head adorned with beads of the same colors, it’s very clear who inspired Solange.
Yolanda Adams —> Mahalia Jackson
The decision to have modern-day stars recreate retro Ebony Magazine covers, was one of the best ideas to come from the publication. It gave readers an opportunity to see how much their faves resemble the stars of yesteryear. I’m sure it inspired folks to do some research into the older person on the cover. And it celebrated Ebony’s illustrious history. There were tons of these covers, featuring a variety of stars. But I chose to feature the Mahalia Jackson cover because I feel like people sleep on her genius.
Beyoncé —> Josephine Baker
People love to talk about the morality of today’s artists. People will argue that no one wears clothes anymore. Anymore? Some artists, the best ones, the ones whose names we’re still calling today, didn’t either. Look no further than Josephine Baker. Who was way more risque than many female artists today. And in all of her excellence, she inspired the best live performer we have today, Beyoncé. Not only did she don a replica of Baker’s famous banana skirt, her face was projected on a screen behind her while she performed “Deja Vu” at Fashion Rocks. And if you’ve ever seen Baker dance in that skirt, you may have recognized that Bey was borrowing some of those moves for the “Deja Vu” video as well.
Teyana Taylor —> Janet Jackson
Before Teyana Taylor had everyone’s jaws dropping with her performance in Kanye’s “Fade,” she recreated Janet Jackson’s memorable Rolling Stone cover. Interestingly enough, as I was looking for the image, I was surprised to see how much hate Taylor was catching for paying homage to Jackson, with the help of actor/photographer, Lance Gross. Just goes to show you how fickle people can be.
Kelly Rowland —> Donna Summer
Over the past couple of years, Kelly Rowland has intentionally and unintentionally channeled fellow singer Donna Summer. And there were whispers that she would be involved in the singer’s biopic. With the physical resemblance being so strong, it probably wouldn’t matter if Kelly could act or not. We’d probably just watch the whole movie blown away by the similarities.
Amber Rose —> Grace Jones
Back when Kanye and Amber were on good terms, she was his muse. And when they were still dating, he posted this picture of her posed exactly like the one and only Grace Jones, on his website. While their body structures are different, Amber pulled it off. Of course, the bald head didn’t hurt either. When Kanye had Kim pose in another manner that evoked Grace Jones’ likeness, she publicly stated that she wasn’t thrilled about it.
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Laverne Cox —> Tina Turner
In a spread for Cosmopolitan actress and activist Laverne Cox channeled the three women who inspired her most, including Beyoncé, 70’s trans model Tracey Africa and Tina Turner. If you look at the spread, you’ll see she nailed all three of them.
Keke Palmer —> Aaliyah
Y’all know Keke is super extra. A simple picture wouldn’t be enough for her. Not only did Keke straighten her hair and dress in one of Aaliyah’s staple looks, she gave y’all some choreography as well. Gotta love it.
Veronica Wells is the culture editor at MadameNoire.com. She is also the author of “Bettah Days.” You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter @VDubShrug.
