EBONY 1961
Lovely Hill (pictured) is the grandmother of Maxwell Pearce. In the early 1950s, she became the first black model for several brands like Clairol, Pepsi, and more. After having her first daughter, she retired from modeling to work in education. After visiting the doctor, Lovely was scheduled for surgery to remove her ovaries after she was told they were infected. Two days before the procedure, Mollie Moon from the National Urban League called EBONY and said, “someone find Lovely Hill” for the project. Hill booked the shoot, scheduled on the day of her surgery.
Hill skipped the procedure and never rescheduled, going on to model hats for spring and summer in the EBONY spread. A few months later, she was pregnant with her second daughter, Jina — who eventually birthed her grandson, Maxwell Pearce — the artist of the piece.
This cover of EBONY magazine saved the lives of Maxwell Pearce, his mother, and siblings.
Pearce struggled as a shy kid, who was unmotivated by school kid. Hill, who had then worked in education for decades, took the time to help with Pearce’s homework every single day. Thus, allowing Pearce to blossom as a diligent student. He also watched her get involved in village politics, firing up residents about the issues that matter to them. It was those events that led to Pearce to discovering his self-worth and voice. When Maxwell was 9 years old, Lovely bought him his first Harlem Globetrotter Jersey.
Maxwell Pearce is now in his seventh year as a Harlem Globetrotter and credits his accomplishments as an athlete, artist, and activist to Hill’s love and dedication.
Her fiery personality allowed him to see he could use his voice for good and become a change maker. Their relationship is a prime example of how a grandmother’s love and encouragement pays dividends in the Black family.
The Spread
The original spread of the magazine shows Hill modeling an assortment of 1960’s fashion hats
