and i'm talking about earlier on in life when as a chocolatino, as a young brother, i was often timesvironments where i was one of few. >> this scarsdale, new york educator is not only considered a model teacher but was one of the first african-american supermodels to grace covers and commercials in the early '70s and '80s. a fashion flair he credits to his jamaican roots and boston upbringing. >> i grew up with folks who had the most incredible sense of style. if you would drop certain people in a room and cover them with rags, they would have emerged ready for any formal attire based on their personal creativity. >> silvera channeled that creativity in college at colgate, bennington, and harvard. he was further benefited by meeting fierce black female models also breaking barriers. >> these were strong women who would not suffer weak beauty. so they literally made i think the industry look for these men who could be believable, credible matches and mates. >> today silvera still models occasionally, but now he's more concerned with making breakthroughs in his social studies classes.