With several runway shows and magazine covers becoming more inclusive when it comes to body positivity, it seems that there are still people who are questioning this movement. There also some who are calling it a form of “white feminism” because of the abundance of white women being featured in these platforms.
But amid all that, Ebony, a magazine dedicated to women of color, decided to feature four plus-size women on its latest issue to hopefully break that stereotype.
Bustle reports that the magazine is known for discussing issues such as cultural appropriation and the survival of Bill Cosby’s TV show despite the charges of sexual abuse filed against him. This time, they focused on body positivity among women of color, calling the March 2016 issue “The Body Brigade.”
The cover includes Orange Is the New Black actress Danielle Brooks, fashion blogger and designer Gabi Gregg, and singers Jazmine Sullivan and Chrisette Michele where they’re dressed in military uniforms, most likely inspired by Beyoncé’s song “Formation.” According to Bustle, the cover story will tackle “plus-size image battles,” as well as “unfiltered” interviews with the cover girls.
Speaking of “unfiltered,” the cover also seems to be minimally edited to show the realness of these women. Gabi also tweeted a behind-the-scenes photo of the four of them, and it doesn’t look too far from the final shots.
With that, we hope other publications would follow Ebony’s move, and you know, not crop the photo mid-section and actually showcase these women’s bodies―not just those of color, but every woman.
[Bustle]
Photo courtesy of Ebony