Jessye Norman is regarded as one of America’s greatest singers. Her powerful voice received standing ovations in opera houses all over the world. More importantly, she helped to tear down the barriers of racial injustice.
It has never been reported that Jessye Norman was living with or affected by diabetes during her lifetime. But she did face a great deal of criticism about her size. She fought back against body shaming and didn’t let people’s mean-spirited comments stop her from being who she was!
In a 1986 Los Angeles Times interview, Jessye Norman replied to critics who shamed her for her size, “It’s people like that who give me enormous energy. I’m here to prove them wrong.”