Smith, B. (Barbara Elaine)
1949-2020 · Contribution: 1976-2014
Restaurateur & Lifestyle Entrepreneur
Pioneering Black supermodel turned restaurateur and lifestyle entrepreneur; her Style Collection became the first home goods line by a Black woman sold in a nationwide retail chain; publicly disclosed her early-onset Alzheimer's diagnosis to help destigmatize the disease within Black communities
Portraits are AI-generated interpretations, not photographs.
Quick facts
- Born
- 1949
- Active since
- 1976
- Category
- Agriculture & Food
- Best known for
- Pioneering supermodel-restaurateurFirst Black woman's nationwide home lineAlzheimer's awareness
Impact on the world
Smith built a lifestyle empire that put a Black woman's taste and hospitality into homes across America. In her final years she turned her own diagnosis into a public act of awareness.
Sources
- NPR (Code Switch)
5 more sources and references are available to members.
Related visionaries
Hall, Carla Renata
1964-
Became a nationally recognized television chef after first building careers as a certified public accountant and runway model; co-hosted ABC's Emmy-winning 'The Chew' and competed on two seasons of Bravo's 'Top Chef'
Samuelsson, Marcus (Kassahun Tsegie)
1971-
Youngest chef ever to receive a three-star New York Times restaurant review; opened Harlem's Red Rooster in 2010, cooked the Obama administration's first state dinner, and has won eight James Beard Foundation Awards
Smalls, Alexander
1952-
Won a Grammy and Tony Award as part of the cast recording of 'Porgy and Bess' before becoming a celebrated restaurateur of Southern and Lowcountry cuisine; co-authored 'Between Harlem and Heaven,' which won the James Beard Award for Best American Cookbook