Zoe Saldana Schools Magazines On Their Lack of Diversity

May 11th, 2012 - By Brande Victorian

Source: Imnotobsessed.com

Just when you think you can’t love Zoe Saldana anymore she turns around and does something else to make us do just that.

On the red carpet at the Cosmopolitan for Latinas launch party Wednesday night, Zoe was showered with praise for being the face of the mag’s first issue and when The Huffington Post asked the actress why she chose to cover Cosmo Latina when she can cover any magazine in the world she had to correct the interviewer just a teeny little bit.

“First of all I can’t yet pose for any magazine. I wish I could,” she told the Huffpost. “There are a lot of magazines that are still sort of…that only cater to a certain demographic and only put certain people on their covers,” she added. “And that’s fine – I never lose hope that one day certain big magazines can broaden their exposure of what is an American face.”

Don’t let the cute face and the petite stature fool you, though. Zoe’s just about done with white-washed magazine covers.

“I never like to get political, but when you have the ability, through your media, to influence a large mass of people, I would want to be a part of the evolving cycle of progress versus keeping things the way that they are. That said, I think that I speak for a lot of us, Americans, that I would want to see a little more diversity.

“It is happening, but not at the pace that it should be,” she added. “For the love of God, we have a Black president. That should’ve set the tone on a lot of things that should’ve been a little quicker, and it’s not enough.”

The good thing, Zoe said, is that there are magazines like Cosmo Latina who are celebrating diversity on their own terms.

“For me to have been invited to be the first on their cover, I feel so honored and grateful. To be seen and to be respected for my work and acknowledged as a true American Latina…means a lot to me.”

Check out more of her red carpet interview here. What do you think is the answer to more cover diversity in a non-print friendly market?


Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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  • Long.Natural.Hair.Dont.Care

    I’m Kenyan and Panamanian and even though I have darker skin & curly hair… I still don’t feel I fit in with either. I’m too dark for latinos/hispanics, I’m too light for Africans and my hair def is to soft. I just have up years ago trying to justify myself to either side & I’m proud of who I am but I don’t live for either race. I consider myself a black & latin woman… afro latina to be exact.

  • RenJennM

    I really like Zoe Saldana. She is a really hard worker. She’s probably been in more films and television shows than we can recall! I personally think it’s unfair to undermine her being the first face of Cosmopolitan for Latinas by saying she’s the “go-to girl”. She’s on there because she’s popular, she’s beautiful, and she’s awesome. 

    Essence magazine and Ebony magazine STAY slapping Mary J. Blige on their covers and Vanity Fair has Angelina Jolie on their cover every time I turn around, but because Zoe Saldana is a huge Latina-American actress, she can’t be celebrated with the first cover?! GTFOH! 

    You all want to talk about “token Latinas”?! OK. What about Jennifer Lopez? Eva Longoria? Eva Mendes? Zoe is darker than all of them, and she’s considered “white-washed” and “token” and a “go-to cover girl”? Really? smdh. 

    You all know that what she had to say about the lack of diversity in magazines was true. Yet, you point fingers at her and bring up her love life? Whatever.

    • Fresh45

       Its not that we’re saying what she said about the lack of diversity on magazine covers is wrong,its just that I think its hypocritical to be upset with the magazines for favoring white people, when it seems like she only favors white men in her love life. You can’t knock them for favoring a certain race when you do the same thing in your personal life.

      • RenJennM

        What are you talking about? Maybe the white guys are the ones that are actually putting an EFFORT into courting her, instead of writing her as “being too skinny” or hollering at her like “ay, ma!”. Do you know how many Black men say that she’s pretty but is “too skinny”? Sh*t, I’ve had a several Black guys say that to me throughout my lifetime, and actually DO date Black men! 

        There’s probably not a lot of Black or Latino guys that are trying to make an effort at approaching her, and by the time one of them tries, she’s already in a relationship… with a white guy. So, stop putting everything on her. Look at who’s approaching her, or better yet, not approaching her.

        • Fresh45

          I can’t go by who is or isn’t approaching her because I don’t know the answer to that,I can only go by who she’s with and it seems to only be white men. I could be wrong but if she does prefer to date white men over other races of men then it makes her hypocritical for talking about the magazines preferring whites over other races,when it seems like she does the same thing.

          • RenJennM

            You can’t come to a conclusion about something unless you consider the reasons and the possibilities. Look at the “why”, not just the “what”. You can’t sit there and ignore the reason WHY she’s usually with white men and expect me to take you seriously when you bring up her personal life. And on top of that, her personal life has nothing to do with diversity in fashion at all! So there is no validity to your point.

        • http://twitter.com/cliclinx Clic Linx

          Most Latino guys don’t like dating Afro Latinas or anyone darker then them. Maybe a small minority might but most won’t. 

        • http://twitter.com/cliclinx Clic Linx

          Most Latino guys don’t like dating Afro Latinas or anyone darker then them. Maybe a small minority might but most won’t. 

      • RenJennM

        What are you talking about? Maybe the white guys are the ones that are actually putting an EFFORT into courting her, instead of writing her as “being too skinny” or hollering at her like “ay, ma!”. Do you know how many Black men say that she’s pretty but is “too skinny”? Sh*t, I’ve had a several Black guys say that to me throughout my lifetime, and actually DO date Black men! 

        There’s probably not a lot of Black or Latino guys that are trying to make an effort at approaching her, and by the time one of them tries, she’s already in a relationship… with a white guy. So, stop putting everything on her. Look at who’s approaching her, or better yet, not approaching her.

    • http://twitter.com/cliclinx Clic Linx

      I think she is an Afro Token Latina. The thing is that tapping into the Afro Latino and Black market is smart. It generates a lot more dough.$$$$ This is why you need a toke Black girl or 2. Rosario Dawson is also one. 

    • http://twitter.com/cliclinx Clic Linx

      I think she is an Afro Token Latina. The thing is that tapping into the Afro Latino and Black market is smart. It generates a lot more dough.$$$$ This is why you need a toke Black girl or 2. Rosario Dawson is also one. 

  • Chita

    The whiteness of your skin, the straightness of her hair and having white features is what matters the most in Latino societies whereever you find them. Color is the number one defining issue that postions your station in life. 

  • Rodriguez

    She doesn’t look Latina at all.

    • RenJennM

      Wow. That was ignorant.

    • http://twitter.com/cliclinx Clic Linx

      Well I understand what you mean. Not by Lineage she is not. It is true. 

  • Afrohairdontcare

    Hopefully(will never happen), we can get to a point where race is not an issue, because we will stop being ignorant to the FACT that there is no such thing as “RACE” as we know it. Race is a social contruct invented by the majority to justify discrimation, hatered, and slavery. We would accomplish so much more if we treated ppl as people and not as human subsets. With that said and since that will never happen…I find it refreshing that Zoe is taking her previlege as a celebrity of color…to speak on a subject that obviously needs to be addressed. As far as the commentor that mentionted how “well-spoken” she is….I will have to inquiry if you were insinuating that you are surprised a woman of color can cleary express herself? To that I say…..where the hell are you from?

  • Guest

    I cannot stand behind this story…Zoe is about as white-washed as they come.  I’m pegging her as another “convenient” Latina…cause I really only ever see here with white people

  • Cam604

    Did no one catch the FULL** you?

    uhh Fool you! cmon people check your spelling

  • Mia

    If this ain’t the pot calling the kettle black! lol, I’m sure a lot of black men feel the same way about her dating history! “lack of diversity” lol

    Yes, I’m wrong for saying it but I had to go there! LOL

    • http://twitter.com/cliclinx Clic Linx

      Yeah I have only seen her date White men and most of here love interest are white men. I read that she had a clause that her love interest could only be White or light skin man. I don’t know if it is true but from the track record it seems to be true. The info was published years ago. 

  • Fresh45

    I think its great that she’s taking a stand on this issue. I could be wrong about this but can she really be mad at the magazines for only putting white people on the cover, when all she dates are white men. It sounds a little hypocritical.

    • Sheila Pescado

       If there were more eligible black and latino men I’d agree with you. Unfortunately they dont take monogamy seriously.

      • Fresh45

        I ignore people who say their are no or very little eligible black and latino men or women left. People like that are obviously ignorant and have chose to judge an entire race of men and women together,based on the actions of a few. If black and latino men aren’t committing,then who’s responsible for the high divorce rate in this country,since black and Latino men don’t take monogamy seriously?

      • http://twitter.com/cliclinx Clic Linx

        What you just stated is a stereotype and you made it sound like White men do not cheat. Was John Edwards Faithful? Was Bill Clinton Faithful? Was New Gingrich Faithful. To be honest White men cheat as much or even more as other types of men.

    • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_LPWWRRHN34PQ2GCP7H25L5YUSE Krilly

      What does dating a white man have to do with being astue enough to know that there’s a lack of diversity on magazine covers? I’m happy that she acknowledges being a Latina of color and her choice of partner has little to do with it. I find the comparison fascinating.

      • Fresh45

        The magazines only or mostly put white people on the covers.It seems like Zoe only or mostly dates white men. I ask again, how can she be upset with them for favoring white people,when she does the same thing in her dating life? It really does sound like the pot calling the kettle black. If Kim Kardashian got upset with Ebony or Essence magazine for mostly or only having black people on the cover, it would be hypocritical of her because she only dates black men.

    • Tagirl

       Who she dates has nothing to do with the lack of diversity on magazine covers. She can date whoever she wants but she’s still black. One has nothing to do with the other.

      • Fresh45

        How can you be upset with the magazines for only or mostly putting white people on the covers when you’re a black Latino who only or mostly dates white men? She’s doing the same thing the magazines are doing,just in a different way.

  • Sabrina

    She’s so pretty and well-spoken.

  • Ortero

    It’s true, she was only given the cover because of her popularity the Latinos only want white ltinos to represent them to the public showing only a white face. Black latino people catch the worst kind of hell in Spanish speaking countries and are always portrayed in a negative fashion.

    • Mescudi

      Very incorrect , only In certain Hispanic countries are dark Hispanic and Indian descent Hispanics treated badly . As a Hispanic from Dominican republic , and with family from Cuba and south America color is never an issue.

      • Tagirl

         The DR has race issues. I read an article that Zoe posted on one of her websites a few years ago about a black woman from the South who went to the DR to research their race relations and she documented major issues.

        Zoe herself has said, numerous times, that when she goes back their that the reporters try to get her to deny that she’s a black woman and she corrects them every time.

        • Tagirl

           *there

        • Afro-Latina

          I couldn’t agree with you more TAGIRL! As an afro-latina myself whose father is african american and mother is puerto rican, I even seen some of it in my mom’s family especially with hair structure ( “your hair looks better straight than curly”– I’ve been told that smh), and even have been approached by men of other Hispanic backgrounds as being Dominican because of my so called  ”white” features . Black is beautiful. I love being a black woman just as much as i love my puerto rican heritage. It’s just makes me upset because of the prejudice/discrimination/and stereotypes we black people face today. I mean it’s 2012 people! smh!! 

      • Kitsy

        Excuse Me?!?!?!? I live in an area with a large Dominican community and, in my experience, Dominicans are some of the most self-hating black people of the African diaspora! Hell, many (no matter how dark, how nappy their hair is) don’t even acknowledge being a part of the African Diaspora. They criticize and look down on [other] blacks and are on a never-ending quest to “whiten the race” (this quote I heard from a Dominican person). You are either very enlightened (i.e. you are thinking above the rest) or you’re very delusional.

    • Analena Gomez

       Color is a very big issue in South America. White latinos are at the top at every single stratum os society in all Spanish speaking countires. Throughout Latin America all of the black Latinos are at hte bottom socially, economically and poilitically they have little rights and are openly mocked in the media. The racial hatred isn’t as bad against Black latinos in Cuba because it is forbidden by law under the Communist but it still exists mentally. Just check out the treatment of Black latinos in Latin America and how right now they are hunted down and abused by white Latinos trying to seize their lands and the Blacks latinos have to hide in the churches protected by the priest.

  • Bshells

    She’s on point

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