A Much Sexier Cultural Milestone
February 3, 2007 by Extra P.
In case you didn’t know it, there is a real sports journalist in the WordPress house. Roy S. Johnson apparently had a spare 15 minutes left over after writing for every major sports publication in the U.S., so he’s brought his blogging skills to WordPress.
It’s no secret to us sports fans that Sunday will be the first Super Bowl with two black head coaches. Some of us still remember the “first black quarterback” hooplah with Doug Williams.
Roy points out that a much sexier milestone was achieved in 1996 when Tyra Banks became the first African-American cover model for Sports Illustrated’s Swimsuit Edition. But his piece about it reminds us that just because a milestone is reached, it doesn’t mean a seismic shift in day-to-day reality. Over ten years have passed since then, and the big-money annual has yet to repeat that feat.
But enough about social justice. What you really want to know is this: Roy has included a string of very hot images to bolster his argument that SI has passed on many, many deserving women since then. If I had known arguing a case could be this fun, I would have joined the debate club in High School.
Thanks for the “light,” Eric! More important, thanks for reminding folks that a history “moment” is no reason to stop putting the heat on those who still must be moved. Peace and Blessings to all.