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Twenty Black Male Models You Should Know

Black models have the power to change the way the world sees people of color while defying European standards of beauty.
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA – DECEMBER 05: Adonis Bosso attends the 2019 GQ Men of the Year at The West Hollywood Edition on December 05, 2019 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic)
By Marcellas Reynolds ·

All this month, Essence.com will present TWENTY, THE REMIX—three digital exhibits I curated celebrating excellence in the worlds of acting, art, and fashion. Continuing with a theme I love, exalting Black greatness while telling our stories, these galleries showcase those who pave the way for the next generations.

Did you know that I got my start in entertainment as a model? And so did Boris Kodjoe, Jason Olive, and Richard Roundtree? In TWENTY BLACK MALE MODELS YOU SHOULD KNOW, I give you a brief history of the Black male model’s impact and importance, much as I did in my book, Supreme Models, which celebrates iconic Black women. I believe models have the power to change the way the world sees people of color while defying European standards of beauty. They are not just pretty faces and, in the case of these beautiful men, a set of rock-hard abs!

01
Adonis Bosso
L’Officiel Hommes Germany by Nacho Alegre
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
02
Alton Mason
GQ Australia by Nathaniel Goldberg
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
03
Boris Kodjoe
Essence March 2005
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
04
Broderick Hunter
Now here’s a face that we’ll never forget. This year, Broderick Hunter made ESSENCE’s list of Black male models to know. With a smile like that, we’re sure he’s on every lady’s wish list!
Eye Candy! We Couldn't Stop Talking About These Fine Men All 2020
05
Charles Williamson
GQ October 1982 by Rico Puhlmann
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
06
Corey Baptiste
August Man October 2014 by Chiun-Kai Shih
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
07
David Agbodji
Archetype November 2015 by Ben Lamberty
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
08
De’Laney Ortiz
Hercules Magazine Fall: Winter 2021 by Casper Kofi
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
09
Fernando Cabral
Men’s Health UK July 2019 by Jon Gorrigan
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
10
Geron McKinley
At Large Magazine Spring:Summer 2018 by Randall Mesdon
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
11
Hal DeWindt
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
12
Jason Olive and Tyra Banks
GQ February 1996 by Fabrizio Ferri
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
13
Lono Brazil
Lono Brazil by Marcus Tondo / Indigitalimages.com
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
14
Luka Sabbat
SID Pre-Fall 2015 by Yu Cong
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
15
Marcellas Reynolds and Veronica Webb
Splash Magazine December 2019 by Maria Ponce
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
16
Michael Ward
The fact that Micheal Ward was awarded the BAFTA Rising Star Award at the 2020 ceremony isn’t surprising, as the Jamaican-English actor has been putting in heavy duty work the past few years. His roles on The Old Guard and The A List pale in comparison to his star-turn as the methodically cool “Jamie” on Netflix’s Top Boy. Season 3 of the Drake-backed crime-drama series was given almost universal acclaim by critics with Ward’s performance equally lauded. He continues to fulfill that BAFTA-backed promise with stirring roles in Steve McQueen’s film pentalogy Small Axe: Lovers Rock and Lena Waithe’s Beauty.
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
17
Oliver Kumbi
GQ.com by Daniel Jackson
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
18
Rashid Silvera
GQ April 1983 by Eric Boman
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
19
Renauld White
GQ November 1979 by Bob Krieger
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
20
Richard Roundtree
EBONY Fashion Fair 1967
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
21
Salomon Diaz
Esquire September 2019 by Christian Anwander
Twenty Male Models You Should Know
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