#TSRFashion: Halima Aden Becomes First Black Woman In A Hijab To Cover ‘Essence’ Magazine

#Roommates, we are always here for continuous displays of #BlackGirlMagic—and we just got another one! Supermodel Halima Aden has already made history within the fashion industry, but now she has made even further strides, as she is now the first black woman to wear a hijab on the cover of Essence magazine.

@Essence reports that 22-year-old Halima Aden, who is Muslim, covers Essence magazine’s January 2020 issue, officially making her the first black woman wearing a hijab to grace the magazine’s cover. The IMG-signed model initially gained national attention back in 2016 when she was the first Miss Minnesota contestant to compete in a hijab and a burkini, she followed that up with modeling in Kanye West’s Yeezy fashion show and being featured on the covers of both British Vogue and Allure magazines.

Earlier this year Halima also broke barriers by becoming the first model in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue to wear a hijab, a burkini and be completely covered. She was also the first Muslim homecoming queen from her high school and the first Somali student senator at her college.

In an exclusive interview with Essence, Halima had this to say about the honor:

“It’s important for me to be visible and to do whatever I can to let girls know that they don’t have to change who they are. want them to know the world will meet them exactly where they stand.”

The Essence January/February 2020 issue will be available in print in a few weeks.

Roommates, what are your thoughts on this?