Controversy surrounds Kamala Harris’ first cover of Vogue



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Vice President-elect Kamala Harris is featured on the cover of Vogue’s February 2021 issue, but the controversy over the featured cover photo has eclipsed the magazine’s debut. The cover photo, which began circulating on social media on Saturday night, shows Harris with her arms crossed, wearing a dark suit and his signature Converse sneakers in front of a pink and green back – an ode to Harris’ sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha.

The magazine then posted an additional photo, a portrait of Harris in a powder blue suit, which a source close to the photoshoot told CBS News that the agreed image would be on the cover.

“Aides to Harris and Vogue figured out that the blue suit / gold background would be the cover photo. Without telling Harris’ team, Vogue changed it to a pink / green photo, which the vice team did. president-elect did not agree, “said the source.

Another source described Harris’s team as “blind” when the cover was published.

According to the source, an image showing Harris in his Converse sneakers was originally intended to be used as a smaller photo that would be featured in Vogue’s actual story.

The two photos in question were taken by famous photographer Tyler Mitchell. Mitchell, 26, became the magazine’s first African-American photographer to shoot a Vogue cover in the magazine’s more than 125-year history when he photographed singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter for the September 2018 issue.

A representative for Mitchell did not respond to a request for comment, but did tweet the powder blue suit cover.

The Vogue team loved the footage Tyler Mitchell took and felt the more informal image captured The authentic and approachable nature of Vice President-elect Harris – which we believe is a hallmark of administration Biden / Harris, ”a spokesperson for Vogue told CBS. News and added: “In response to the gravity of this moment in history and the role it must play in moving our country forward, we are celebrating the two images of her as digital covers.”

Additionally, a source said the Harris team and the magazine “worked closely together on all creative decisions.”

For Harris, who made history in November when she became the first black and South Asian American to be elected vice president, adorning the cover of Vogue was meant to send a message to young people of color.

“There aren’t many black women, let alone black and South Asian women, who adorn the covers of these high-end magazines,” a source familiar with CBS News told CBS News. “[For Harris], it was important for young men and women, people of color, to see that this is possible. “

The story, written by Alexis Okeowo, includes an interview with Harris and follows Harris to Pennsylvania during one of his final campaign days on the Monday before election day.

This isn’t the first time Vogue has come under fire for the way it photographs people of color. The magazine’s editor-in-chief Anna Wintour said she admitted it during the summer of 2020, saying in a company-wide internal memo: “I want to make it clear that I know Vogue doesn’t didn’t find enough ways to uplift and give space to black editors, writers, photographers, designers and other creators. We also made mistakes in posting hurtful or intolerant images or stories. full responsibility for these errors. “

After the coverage first appeared online on Saturday night, there were a number of angry reactions, including from some media figures.

Danielle Garrand contributed to this report.



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