I see it, and yet, it's not like there were zero people of color on the color. In this case, I think we go two steps higher. The people featured on the cover are usually bigger names than the people of color being pushed to the margins so the magazine editors are going to want them on the cover to sell more copies. So I think the question is not, why are actors of color being pushed the margins on magazine covers, it's why are actors of color being pushed to the margins in general?

If these were British fashion/lifestyle magazines you'd be lucky to find any Black people on the cover at all. God Bless America!

this is really frustrating the level of comments here, are we to be happy because there is SOME people of color, finally, portrayed in mags, or is Britain's racism the standard we should measure up to ? how far did we really come? the legacy of colonialism & racism is still rampant, it morphed, it is more disguised but live & well. could editors bring some worthwhile analysis here? and bring the discussion level a bit higher? PLEASE!!

Annie Leibovitz probably thinks of herself as a provacateur (she's the photographer behind the LeBron James Vogue cover, the previously posted Disney Dreams campaign, and the most recent Miley Cyrus Vanity Fair controversy), but even if she is trying to make some neo/post/modern commentary on race and gender, it's still really shallow. Her "who, me?" dumbstruck defenses of her work annoy me, quite frankly. Leibovitz's photos may not be intentionally racist, but when it comes to visual communication, nothing is merely accidental. The dismal pattern of color-coded composition in these spreads isn't something we should try to rationalize or ignore.

In related news, Italian Vogue recently announced that they are putting together an upcoming issue with "all Black" models. (http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/fashion/news/black-is-finally-in-fashion-at-vogue-816213.html) This well-meaning move is problematic, too. It's not real justice and visibility though when the editors go out of their way to announce how edgy and progressive and fearless they are by featuring models of color. But I guess we'll just have to wait and see how good, or bad, it is when the mag hits stands.

p.s. Let me direct readers to vibrant commenters' contributions to other Racewire posts:
LeBron James's Vogue Cover: http://www.racewire.org/archives/2008/03/a_racist_vogue_cover.html
A Hanes Underwear Ad Campaign:
http://www.racewire.org/archives/2008/04/is_this_racist_1.html
Disney's Year of a Million Dreams Campaign:
http://www.racewire.org/archives/2008/02/jolies_role_as_a_woman_of_colo.html