Source: Essence.com

We haven’t quite hit July yet, but Essence magazine has already revealed its cover for August.

41-year-old actress Nia Long and her two sons 11-year-old Massai Zhivago Dorsey II and seven-month-old Kez Sunday Udoka grace the cover of the late summer issue.

In the cover story, “Single, satisfied and raising her boys”, Essence quotes Nia Long saying “I’m in my forties, post baby and I’m thinner than I’ve been in years. The last step will be letting my hair go natural. That’s when you’ll know I’m free…”

The magazine’s website says:

We’ve all watched Nia Long grow up on-screen. At 41, with her pixie cut and eternally young good looks, she’s the hip-hop generation’s fantasy girlfriend. Now as she embraces life with her sons (including a new baby!), her partner and a reconnection with her father, the star tells Essence that she has never felt more fulfilled.

Like the Reggie Bush and Dwayne Wade/Gabrielle Union covers, this one has already ignited some controversy. Many balk at the actress’s decision to have two kids by two different fathers and will undoubtedly see the cover as praising a less-than-ideal situation. That’s not completely fair though to Essence or to Nia Long. The actress is not starting a trend of single motherhood. Her reality is the reality of many, many women of all races.

Earlier this year, USA Today reported that a whopping forty percent of all children are born to unwed mothers — and nearly eighty-percent of black children today are born to unwed mothers. Celebrities are not exempt from this statistic and the facts remain: unplanned pregnancies happen. Those statistics are staggering, but considering how many people are out here having sex, getting pregnant and then having abortions, the numbers should be much more.

Essence isn’t praising unprotected sex, they’re celebrating a woman who will probably serve as an inspiration to the scores of other women who have found themselves in the same situation. Let’s be real, some people looking down their nose at Nia Long are probably some of the same ones who were praising God for His grace and mercy when their…um…how did LHHA’s Joseline put it?…”fairy godmother” came this month.

Don’t get me wrong. Personally, I’m all about marriage and waiting to have kids until then, but that’s not everyone’s reality (or desire) and it’s not up to Essence Magazine to play pretend like it is.

What do you think about Nia Long being on the cover?

Follow Alissa Henry on Twitter @AlissaInPink

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