Today’s Doodle honors the disability rights advocate and Haitian American model Mama Cax in honor of Black History Month. Mama Cax, illustrated by Brooklyn-based guest artist Lyne Lucien, is best known for defying beauty expectations. The advocate and model proudly paraded down runways on her colorful and patterned prosthetic leg. Mama Cax made her runway debut at New York Fashion Week on this day in 2019.
Mama Cax was Cacsmy Brutus when she was born on November 20, 1989, in Brooklyn, New York, and she spent her childhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She was diagnosed with lung and bone cancer at the age of 14. At the age of 16, she underwent an unsuccessful hip replacement procedure as a result of her cancer, which resulted in the amputation of her right leg. Mama Cax was depressed at first and had trouble accepting that she had a prosthetic leg because she wanted it to look real and match her skin tone.
Mama Cax began to love and accept her new body over time. She began incorporating stylish prosthetic covers into her personal style with pride. She likewise started communicating her adoration for design and style with bright outfits, hair colors, and strong cosmetics. Cax also learned to handcycle and embraced her athleticism during this time of accepting her disability; she later completed the New York City Marathon!
Mama Cax noticed that Black women and women with disabilities were underrepresented in social media as the body positivity movement developed. She started using social media to talk about her body insecurities and began posting frequently, pleading for inclusivity in fashion. She entered the fashion industry as a model for the first time in a 2017 advertising campaign and was signed by Jag Models shortly thereafter. She appeared on the Teen Vogue cover in 2018 and walked in both the February and October New York Fashion Weeks the following year.
In 2019, Mama Cax’s tragic death occurred as a result of medical issues. The activist and model is remembered for changing the way people with disabilities should look and act. Her vibrant life is reflected in today’s vibrant Doodle art. The artwork emphasizes a variety of aspects of her identity, including her Haitian upbringing, her hometown of New York City, and her career in fashion, complete with her prosthetic face.
Mama Cax, thank you for promoting inclusion in the fashion and beauty industry and serving as a positive role model.