Actress Thandie Newton Voices Her Anger Over The Lack Of Black Women on Vogue's Covers

Actress Thandie Newton, famous for her roles in the movies "Beloved" and "For Colored Girls," is calling out Vogue magazine on its lack of love for colored girls.

Newton, who is currently the face of Louis Vuitton's "Double Exposure" campaign, is feeling a bit (err a lot) slighted that she has not yet been asked to pose for Vogue's coveted cover.

First Lady Michelle Obama, Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson have all graced the cover of US Vogue, representing just a small sample of the talented, beautiful and accomplished black women that could also be included--Newton being one.

In an interview with Pride magazine, Newton doesn't pull any punches when speaking about her disappointment with the lack of diversity displayed at Vogue and beyond.

"Don't get me started on black people being on the cover of big magazines. It's so preposterous. I mean, I've been on the cover of Harper's Bazaar four times; I've been on the cover of InStyle four times, but Vogue, not once."

"And people say to me, I mean literally, people have said to me, 'What have you got against Vogue that you don't want to be on their cover?' And I just laugh."

The British born and based actress feels that the United States edition of Vogue sets the standard of what is accepted and expected when it comes to diversity for other top publications domestically and around the world.

"They [Vogue] don't feel the need to represent because it doesn't make any sense to them. It's just baffling to me, but as usual America will dictate the ways things go and a magazine like Vogue will just follow America," she said. "But it's like, don't you want to trail blaze?"

We hope so.

And while we don't have the answer to that question, we can give you 10 reasons (other than her superb acting skills) that make Newton Vogue cover material.

Here's a look at our favorite fashion moments from the stunning actress.

Comments

[noudidnt]

01:12 PM on 11/08/2011

Has she seen the photo of Vogue's editors? There is your answer.

[pflower]

10:51 PM on 11/02/2011

For all those who think it's racist that she hasn't graced the cover or Vogue, I guess that could be an issue. However, I'm more annoyed that Essence magazine keeps recycling the same cover girls over and over like Jada Pinket while ignoring viable successful women like Thandie and Rhianna and Rashida Jones, who are equally stylish and recognized by other magazines, but for some reason fail to meet their "standards". Why haven't any of these highly visible women graced an Essence cover recently in spite of their tremendous success?

[Astro Girl]

07:39 PM on 11/02/2011

Black publications can be racist as hell, but others can't. I am Black and always wondered why every other ethnic groups can be openly racist with their "We Black, We Latino, We Asian" blah,blah,blah, but Whites can't do a "We White and Proud" cover.

BET and so call Black publication only has a specific kind of Blacks to start with.

Has anyone ever realize that Vogue don't need a Black readership to survive, which is why it is the way it is.

Unfortunately the world only cares about what effects them and that's all.

[Nettrice]

12:18 PM on 11/05/2011

It is precisely because of these disparities that publications like Essence and Ebony exist in the first place.

[Angeljx3]

08:02 AM on 11/08/2011

@nettrice ppl who dont understand this fact are blind and i just have no words for them. like hello! if there was no BET half the artists on there could never be seen. if there was no MTV TRES (for spanish ppl) they would never be able to see their fav artist. when is the last time youve seen jill scott on MTV or VH1. and whens the last time youve seen gabrielle union on the cover of vogue. y dont ppl get that?

[noudidnt]

01:12 PM on 11/08/2011

Yeah that clown isn't black.

[liveluvlaf]

06:09 PM on 12/06/2011

Astro Girl, if you are Black why are you worried about white people and what they don't get to do?
I doubt for one minute they worry about why we (blacks) are discriminated against.

[pink4004]

03:16 PM on 11/02/2011

That's exactly why I don't support Vogue or any of the other rag magazines. Not enough diversity.

[mrscrutty]

10:27 AM on 11/02/2011

She reminds me of Audrey Hepburn. I have always said, she would be the Audrey Hepburn if she was white. And that is just sad. There is so much more to her then just beauty. Exactly like Audrey. Keep fighting, Thandie. I wish more "stars" were as classy, lovely and talented as she is.

[Dawityisrael]

07:44 PM on 11/01/2011

Thandie, there's always my alma mater, Playboy!

[shirley thomas]

04:07 PM on 11/01/2011

no different than loreal et using mainly light skinned black models.and here's something that i have noticed. when they have a black model in a commerical for say hair product she is never given the same amt of face time as the white model, and rarely ever is the closing face. ck it out

[Bryan Boru]

02:06 AM on 11/01/2011

If you haven't seen it, and you're into Thandie, and you're a guy, you should definitely rent one of her first movies, an Australian one called "Flirting." Yes sirree bob.

[sepia830]

12:03 AM on 11/01/2011

Thandie deserves to be recognized for so many reasons. She is the new face of Louis Vuitton, a spokeswoman for Oil of Olay, a beautiful and talented actress, highly educated and outspoken and charitable (I applaud her works in Africa). A white woman with her qualifications would have graced the cover of Vogue ten times by now.

[NeverRetro]

10:22 PM on 10/31/2011

You mean like the lack of black faces on the front of the Huffington Post? Anybody else notice that?

[Yam716]

02:26 PM on 11/02/2011

And the fact that they get most of their 'Black' news from MTO :-| Hate that the most

[Darlene Jones]

09:59 PM on 11/02/2011

True ,'NeverRetro'. That's why MSNBC hired 'Rev Al'.They had a bunch of White journalist calling out the GOP for being racist,yet they had not one 'black' pundit with his,or her's own show! So far as Vogue cover girls/women ..kind of silly imo. It's a fashion mag! The flavor of the day will always be 'White,skinny ,blondes' .Who cares?

[NeverRetro]

09:45 AM on 11/06/2011

You hit the nail on the head, Darlene. And yes, all of them are corrupt.

[michelleobamaok]

09:15 PM on 10/31/2011

THANDIE, this is the reason I 'm such a JOHN H. JOHNSON fan and not an Oprah fan.

John H. Johnson blazed a trail and was an original, while others like Vogue, Oprah, etc., gets richer upholding the same old stale anglo paradigm.

[wms425s]

10:54 AM on 11/03/2011

Don't forget Vanity Fair! I stopped reading that rag the year Halle Berry won the oscar and unlike previous times ,they put some unknown on the cover! Some of these rags don't even attempt to disguise their bias.

[jpatrickbad]

08:40 PM on 10/31/2011

I think Thandie is missing the point to her career, the most honest career you can have is acting or model. This cannot be faked or imitaded, the market is driven by beauty.Pure and simple if people find you attractive you will find work. Thandie is beautiful, doesn't matter if she is white or black she is gorgeous. But, I think she sees her age is not getting her roles like it use to, but she enjoyed that standard when she was able to exploit it. Same thing she complains there needs to be more black covers? i don't anyone would have a problem with this, if the girls were attractive. I think she is reaching, Vogue is a business if they see hot black models they will show them.

[michelleobamaok]

09:18 PM on 10/31/2011

Thandie's not missing anything. Her point is white girls get breaks on the covers of fabulous covers even if their last successful movie was years ago. White media goes to bat for actresses nobody cares about. It's a continuum in keeping everything white.....and therefore, right.

[Bryan Boru]

02:16 AM on 11/01/2011

Of course if the U.S. was a black majority country then the white models would have the problems that Thandie has now. Black media would go to bat for actresses nobody cares about. It would be a continuum keeping everything black...and therefore, [fill in snarky rhyme word here]. It's human nature. Not white or black nature. Human nature.

[Angeljx3]

02:55 PM on 11/02/2011

are u really that blind? vogue dosent showcase black models because in their minds black models are not good enough. its not a question of whether the girls are beautiful...the fact is that they dont meet the white standard.u know this so idk y u would try to make it seem like what vogue is doing is right.

[Mulebone]

08:16 PM on 10/31/2011

Sure, but what has she said about BET and rap misogynistic rap music?

[Nettrice]

12:21 PM on 11/05/2011

Sure but what does it have to do with Thandie's point?

[DebA49]

07:15 PM on 10/31/2011

I think she's more peeved about "herself" not being on the cover. I don't believe she can really care too much about any other "colored" girl.

Funny how people can appear so righteous and just; while at the same time harboring an ulterior motive.

Strikes me as an ego issue here.

[sepia830]

11:58 PM on 10/31/2011

Thandie has always been outspoken about recognition for colored actresses and is a very charitable person. Perhaps it would be better if you took the time to find out about the person whose character you insist on assassinating. Not every celebrity is self-serving.

[Vic22]

05:35 PM on 10/31/2011

The worst part is, if she gets on the cover, then black women will be up in arms about not having darker black women on covers. You really can't win

[sepia830]

11:58 PM on 10/31/2011

You may have a point there.

[Angeljx3]

02:57 PM on 11/02/2011

because if colored women that look like thandie, beyonce, and mariah can only get the cover then change really is NOT happening.