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.