
I am not so sure what goes through the minds of the editors of Vanity Fair magazine. Just one month after presenting Tiger Woods as a "sex addict" with a "harem," the magazine has released another racial bombshell on it's cover. The most recent issue features "New Hollywood," hailed as the stars of the future. Most interesting is that the cover shows nine of the whitest white women that the world has ever seen, without a black woman in sight.
We've unfortunately gotten used to seeing black women ignored by Hollywood, but this is a bit ridiculous. Not only does Hollywood's past throw black women under the bus, but the present and future seem to do so as well. Fortunately, Vanity Fair's image of Hollywood utopia is not authoritative and this cover reminds us that perhaps we should reconsider Vanity Fair's status as one of the leading magazines in Hollywood.
Black women have long made amazing contributions to Hollywood, but they are treated even worse than black men when it comes to the perpetuation of unflattering images and missed opportunities. Even the Academy Award given to Halle Berry a few years ago left a bad taste in our mouths, since she had to play a terribly condescending role in order to receive the honor.
Tyler Perry, Oprah Winfrey and others in a position to make a mark in Hollywood will hopefully embrace their opportunity to change the images of black women on the big screen. The black woman is just as brave, just as intelligent, just as beautiful and has just as much grace as any other woman in the world. It's time that Hollywood begin to recognize that.
As for Vanity Fair Magazine, they can keep their fair-skinned realities to themselves. Such ideals have no place in the new millennium.
Dr. Boyce Watkins is the founder of the Your Black World Coalition. To have Dr. Boyce commentary delivered to your email, please click here. 

Comments: (36)
Add a comment
By: Nia on 2/03/2010 11:21AM
When I saw the Vanity Fair cover, I was immediately aware of the lack of color. However, I noticed a lack of color of ANY kind. There were no Black, Asian or Latina actresses being portrayed. If Young Hollywood is moving a homogenous direction more representative of Eastern Europe than America, I don't need to support it.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Ebony on 2/03/2010 11:18AM
I commend you for using your voice & influence! This is exactly what needs to continue to happen in order for change, folks have to speak out & engage the blatant bias head on. This is just a confirmed testament that this country is still far from equality!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Ray Dishmon on 2/03/2010 2:04PM
We do not need to make an issue out of this. We have our very own publication in which we can promote our very own black celebs! Please, quit whining about every thing that the whhite media does!
Report This
By: MDF on 2/03/2010 11:52AM
Although I understand your point, you must also understand the demographic of Vanity Fair....I am almost certain the Essence nor Ebony would have a white woman on a cover if they did the same story...So WHY should VF include a black actress, black women are not the demographiic....its not always blatant racism....we dont ALWAYS have to play that card....it is what it is...VF does not care about what black women think...the mag is not for us......
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: MadWorld on 2/03/2010 12:54PM
I agree fully with this comment. This is a very futile complaint and the only racism I find in this is brought up with this article. You guys seriously act like we don't have a plethora of magazines to adequately represent the black race. The following say hi (a few of which I subscribe to):
Ebony
Vibe
Source
XXL
Jet
Black Men
FHM
Black Enterprise
Rides
If you want to hear about up and coming black celebs and what not, you have a source. Like MDF said, everything is not racist. Believe me being exposed and apart of corporate america for awhile and the only thing that matters is green. If VF did a survey on the demographics of people who bought their magazine and the majority of them were black, do you honestly think they would not do more to appeal to blacks.
I find it strange that time is taken out to complain about racism for a magazine some blacks don't even read. The stores in my neighborhood don't even stock VF. Of course these would be the same people that would cry racism if they came out with an "Ivory" or "White Enterprise"
Report This
By: Shaiye on 2/03/2010 2:05PM
The part you seem to have overlooked is that plethora being a RESPONSE to what should not have taken place to begin with. Another thing, when Ebony does a story about most talented black entertainers, it is clearly stated as such, whereas when many other magazines do a story on the most talented entertainers only whites are included - and that is where the disconcerting suggestion is made. This may not be the place to say it but I am totally fine with whites doing things in support of their race. It becomes a problem when the focus becomes putting another race (especially mine!) down, instead of uplifting self-esteem. It's like gangs that hurt and kill people are bad, but the ones that go out cleaning parks (we'll call them gangs for this purpose) and setting examples for others to build on are good. Unfortunately, we don't see enough esteem building in a lot of the white media, but we do see a lot of nagging "I'm better than you AND you're worse than me."
Report This
By: Ray Dishmon on 2/03/2010 12:26PM
I think that it is high time that we get our own thing and do it. We need to stop graveling at the foot of the White Race and get our own magazines and promote our own women. I'm sick and tired of every time whites do something that does not include us, we fall down and act like little children. I say, the hell with them and let's move on!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: MadWorld on 2/03/2010 12:54PM
We've been doing this. Some blacks just fail to acknowledge it, which is sad. Like I said above, there are plenty of publications that target blacks, but we ignore that and complain about the small things that don't acknowledge us.
Report This
By: ews on 2/05/2010 9:10PM
People, wake up, they will never include us, and it's ok...We have ESSENCE & EBONY and they always portray the EUROPEAN BEAUTY in all of us.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: skepear on 2/03/2010 12:58PM
This is laughable, do we reaaly care what VF thinks. I love the magazine for its articles and the setup of them, less page flipping when reading. I have news for VF, not for us, black women and men will continue to rise to whatever occassion or bar you care to set. Great work, continued effort, and determination will always be recognized. You simply cannot hide light under a basket. We and others are not on your cover, oh well. All we do is look at it and keep pushing. Beauty magazines only make us disatisfied with ourselves. Hollywood beauty, just a little to thin and gaunt for me. From Hattie MeDaniels to supermodels, Black women in every hue and size, a force to be reckoned with. I can just see the editors at VF now thinking...omg
Reply to this Comment | Report This