Tag Archives: women of color

Michelle Obama Is The First Lady Of The World

Catherine StrawnApril 28, 2009 //

While Americans have been focused on Michelle Obama’s wardrobe choices and how she’s advancing the careers of younger designers, women in other countries are more concerned with how she’s boosting their lives and self-worth. In India, one woman says Michelle “shows women that it’s OK to have dark skin and to not have a son,” which are normally looked down upon in her country. In Vietnam, women marvel that Michelle walks beside her husband, rather than behind him. Thu Nguyen says women in her country “are not human beings,” but Michelle shows women can do anything. Keep reading »

Vogue Italia’s “Black Issue” Doesn’t Address The Real Issue

Amelia McDonell-ParryJune 19, 2008 //

I can’t remember the last time I picked up a lady mag and saw an African-American woman on the cover that wasn’t Halle Berry. The beauty and hair advice doled out in these magazines is targeted at white women unless otherwise noted and the major runway shows are pitifully powder white (Eastern-European is very in). It’s sucky, to say the least. Vogue Italia decided to do something about it, declaring their July issue “The Black Issue” — all of the featured models would be Black and all the featured content would address Black women. This is all fine and dandy on a purely surface level I suppose, except that by making this issue “special” they’ve defined all other, white-centric issues as the usual and the norm. Rather than having more women of color in every issue, targeting a single issue at one ethnic group doesn’t really do anything to increase diversity, now does it? That’s weak. [NY Times] Keep reading »