Donyale Luna

The world's first black supermodel, Luna was born Peggy Ann Freeman was in Detroit and grew up there in the northeast side of the city. Her father, Nathaniel Freeman, worked for almost 40 years at Ford Motor Company, usually in the foundry. Her mother, Peggy, was receptionist at the downtown YWCA for almost 30 years. Her parents had a difficult relationship and her father tended to be somewhat abusive, often living separately from the rest of the family. He was an alcoholic and came home in a drunken rage one night in 1950 and attacked her mother, who shot him in self-defense while five-year-old Luna and her four-year-old sister Deborah looked on. Although her mother wanted her to go to nursing school, aspiring actress Luna was allegedly spotted by New York photographer David McCabe walking around - barefoot, in a Catholic schoolgirl's outfit - at Detroit's Fisher Theater in September 1964. She soon moved to New Jersey and lived there with her aunt while her career took off in nearby New York City.