Is LeBron and Gisele's Vogue Cover Racist?

Posted by Giulia Rozzi, Take Part at 10:12 AM on March 26, 2008.

The cover photo on this month’s Vogue Magazine of LeBron James holding Gisele Bundchen has caused a debate over whether or not the image is racist. The image taken by the infamous Annie Liebovitz was discussed on this mornings Today Show as seen in this clip below.



LeBron James likes the photo saying “everything my name is on is going to be criticized in a good way or bad way.Who cares what anyone says?”

So if the person in the photo doesn’t see the image as anything more than a cool photo why are people making such a fuss?

MSNBC writer Dan Fieschner raises this interesting point:

And in thinking about this story, I couldn’t help but wonder…what’s the more racist response to the cover: to see racial stereotypes and object or to not notice race at all? [MSNBC]

So what do you think of the cover? Is it a racist image or simply an artistic photo?

In addition to posing for Vogue covers and being a star basketball player, LeBron James is also an advocate for kids to challenge themselves and boost their self-esteem. Through the site http://www.lebron.msn.com/ fans can click on “challenges” for monthly words of encouragement and a place to discuss their personal goals. So if you have a young basketball fan in your life in need of some motivation and introduce them to LeBron’s inspirational network.

Tagged as: race, racism, lebron james, gisele, vogue