Who is Mama Cax, the disability rights advocate honoured by Google Doodle?

In honour of Black History Month, today's Google Doodle (February 8) honoured Haitian-American model and disability rights advocate Mama Cax.

The Doodle marked the day Cax made debut on a ramp at New York Fashion Week in 2019.

Who was Mama Cax?

Mama Cax, real name Cacsmy Brutus, was raised in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, but she was born on November 20, 1989, in Brooklyn, New York. At 14, she was diagnosed with lung and bone cancer. Two years later, she underwent a failed hip replacement treatment, which led to the amputation of her right leg.

Cax originally struggled with depression and had a hard time adjusting to her prosthetic limb because she wanted it to blend in with her skin tone and appear natural. But with time, she came to embrace and enjoy her new body, proudly adorning beautiful prosthetic coverings and blending them into her unique style, and combining her vivid apparel with eye-catching cosmetics and hair colours to flaunt her love of fashion.

During this phase of accepting her condition, Cax not only leaned towards her athleticism and learned to handcycle, but she also learned to play wheelchair basketball at the age of 18. She also completed the New York City Marathon while using a wheelchair.

As the body positivity movement as a whole gained momentum, Cax became aware of the underrepresentation of Black women and women with disabilities on social media. As a result, she began to post frequently, advocate for diversity in the fashion industry, and use her platform to discuss her own body insecurities.


Cax was invited to the White House in September 2016 to take part in a fashion display hosted by Barack and Michelle Obama. She made her professional modelling debut in a commercial in 2017 and was immediately signed by Jag Models. She appeared in commercials for Tommy Hilfiger and Sephora in addition to walking the catwalk for Chromat and Rihanna's Fenty Beauty.

After being featured on the cover of Teen Vogue in 2018, Cax appeared at the New York Fashion Weeks in both February and October of the following year while wearing a swimsuit created by Becca McCharen, who aimed to alter the "standards of beauty".

FAQs:

1. How did Cax die?
   Cax unfortunately passed away due to her medical problems.
2. At what age did Cax die?
   Cax died at the age of 30.