Who was Mama Cax? Google Doodle celebrates American-Haitian model

In honour of Black History Month, Google has released a Google Doodle on Wednesday that highlights a number of significant aspects of Mama Cax’s life, including her audacious display of her prosthetic leg while modelling.

American historian Carter G Woodson proposed the first commemoration of what would become Black History Month in 1926. He had established what was then called Negro History Week to promote the study of black history in schools. Before President Gerald Ford formally acknowledged Black History Month in 1976, the celebration gradually grew to last an entire month and spread throughout the world.

But, who was Cax?

Who was Mama Cax?

Cax was an influential model and cancer survivor who advocated for the rights of people with disabilities. As a teen amputee, Cax wasn't afraid to show off her prosthetic limb in photo shoots and on the runway, frequently embellishing it with vibrant patterns.

Born Cacsmy Brutus on November 20, 1989, in Brooklyn, New York, Cax spent much of her childhood in Haiti.

At the age of 14, she was diagnosed with bone and lung cancer and was given three weeks to live. When a hip replacement failed, it was decided that her right leg and part of her hip should be amputated.

She initially struggled with the shock of losing a piece of her body, but she eventually overcame it and became a vocal supporter of the body positivity movement. She had hundreds of thousands of online followers who were inspired by her writings on travel, food, lifestyle and beauty.

Cax broke out in the modelling industry with a Wet ’n’ Wild campaign in 2017. She went on to land a Teen Vogue cover in 2018.

Cax continued to promote the use of more disabled models and women of colour by appearing in advertisements for clothing companies including Sephora, Tommy Hilfiger and Olay.

Cax passed away in 2019 at the age of 30 from acute abdominal pain and pulmonary blood clots.