Jada Pinkett Smith Rallies for White Women on Black Magazines

Jada Pinkett Smith is accustomed to being in the news, and I’ve been a big fan ever since her “Different World” days. I respect her outspoken nature and the many causes she has lent her celebrity status to support. However, I find her recent public rant questionable.

Smith shared on her Facebook page that if the black community wanted to see more diversity on the covers of mainstream magazines, then we should allow white women on the covers of our publications.

Holy Lindsay Lohan on the July issue of Jet, Batman!

Smith is so serious about this new concept that she even had a few magazine mockup covers created and shared them on her social media page. One shows Queen Latifah on the cover of Cosmopolitan, while the Oscar-winning actress Charlize Theron graces the cover of Essence.

I am all for being inclusive, but magazines by their nature are meant to target specific audiences, which translates into marketing and advertising dollars.

We seek out and consume these periodicals because of their niche content and focus. Do I really want to pick up a men’s fitness magazine and see some skinny techno-geek on the cover?

Smith shares some public thoughts on this topic:

"I pose this question with the hope that it opens a discussion about how we can build a community for women based upon us all taking a deeper interest in one another. An interest where skin color, culture, and social class does not create barriers in sharing the commonality of being… women.”

Okay, Jada, I am with you so far, soul sister. I think most folks can get down with a call for solidarity.

Smith goes on to share: “With love and respect to all parties involved, my question is this…if we ask our white sisters, who tend to be the guardians of the covers of mainstream magazines, to consider women of color to grace these covers, should we not offer the same consideration to white women to grace our covers?”

See, this is where I think Jada is still plugged into the Matrix.

The reality is that, if we did a random sampling of all media outlets, we would find a disproportionate number of magazines dominated by mainstream images. I am always slightly amused that marginalized communities are expected to correct or rectify problems that they did not create in the first place.

The reality is that black-oriented magazines like Essence, Ebony and Jet were created because African Americans were large excluded from mainstream options.

And even when there is a rare exception, women of color have had to make concessions. I taught mass media courses for years and always liked to site the example of how Oprah, at the height of her power as a media mogul, was advised by Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour to lose weight if she wanted to grace the cover of Vogue to promote her film “Beloved”.

So if Oprah has to concede to mainstreams concept of beauty, what chance do regular folks stand against a system that is predominantly controlled and monitored by the mainstream?

Smith ends her statement with this plea: “To my women of color, I am clear we must have something of our own, but is it possible to share in the spirit in which we ask our white sisters to share with us? I don’t know the answer and would love to hear your thoughts.”

I am not a woman but merely someone who monitors and critiques the media and popular culture, but I, too, am curious and would like to hear your thoughts.