American Vogue: Once You Go Black...

I was stunned, to say the least, when I saw Michelle Obama on the cover of Vogue's March cover. It made sense in a way considering how many covers our first family has graced. I figured Anna Wintour is jumping on the bandwagon in an attempt to quiet the magazines long standing criticism on its failure to represent Black women.

So imagine my surprise upon seeing April's cover featuring Beyonce. Wow! I didn't know what to think. I wondered: is this a sign of what's to come? Has American Vogue turned over a new leaf? Well, probably not.

Although the appearance of Black faces on two consecutive covers is unprecedented, I don't believe this marks a turning point for the magazine. Once inside, the old story continues - all the features and editorials are dominated almost entirely by white women. Truth be told, I do believe a conscious effort has been made to include more women of color. Unfortunately all other ethnicity's have been excluded. I can't recall one Asian or Latin model in either of the recent two issues. So much for progress.

I have a feeling this new interest in diversification is the aftermath of Italian Vogue's All Black Issue.

Fashion insiders are all too familiar with the eurocentric dominance and inherit racism within the industry. As a young model I remember being struck with the reality that black models simply don't get as much work as their white counterparts. There are of course exceptions but they are few and far between.