Entertainment

These Women Of Color Were Missing From 'Elle'

by Jennifer Still

Admittedly, I don't often read magazines. I love them and I'll pick them up if they're sitting around, but I won't actively buy one from the store, because I only end up flipping through looking for the perfume samples and fawning over clothes I can't afford and then I throw them away, so it seems like a bit of a waste. However, I was really excited to hear that Elle's November issue is celebrating Women In Hollywood. After all, the ladies are taking over the industry and have been for a while, and that's fantastic and inspiring to see. Kate Winslet, Carey Mulligan, Ava DuVernay, Dakota Johnson, Salma Hayek, Alicia Vikander, Gena Rowlands, and Amy Schumer all made the cut, and they totally deserve it. However, there's just one small problem you've probably noticed: of the eight women being honored with their own Elle cover, only two of them are women of color, and that seems more than a little imbalanced.

While it's great to see the likes of DuVernay, whose work on Selma catapulted her into the spotlight, and Hayek on the list, I can't help but think of so many other women of color who deserved their own Elle cover and more. While there's no indication as to how Elle made their decision on which Hollywood women to feature, if it were up to me, these seven would be right up there with the others.

1. Taraji P. Henson

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Taraji has been doing her thing in Hollywood for years now, but it was when she joined Empire as Cookie Lyon that she really blew up, and thank goodness for that. Henson is absolutely incredible on the show and seems just as amazing in her real-life interviews, so I'd love to see her on Elle.

2. Viola Davis

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It wasn't long ago that Viola picked up the Emmy for Lead Actress in a Drama, which is pretty much like the TV Oscars. It was a well-deserved accolade, but she's also an obvious shoe-in for an Elle cover, so why she didn't get one is beyond me.

3. Lupita Nyong'o

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Sigh... is there anyone more beautiful than Lupita Nyong'o? She's not only an incredible actress, but she's a great role model for young women everywhere. She lights up the screen whenever she's on it, and could have done the same for the pages of Elle.

4. Kerry Washington

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Don't act like you haven't eaten an entire pizza by yourself while you binge watched Scandal. Kerry Washington brings the role of Olivia Pope to life perfectly, and she deserves way more credit than she's given, I think.

5. Sofia Vergara

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Sofia Vergara first came into our lives when Modern Family came on the air, and I'm so happy she did. She's an absolute bubble of energy and self-confidence and it's completely refreshing (not to mention worthy of an Elle cover, but that should go without saying).

6. Gabourey Sidibe

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There aren't many women in Hollywood I love as much as Gabourey Sidibe, whose vocal self-acceptance and refusal to listen to anyone who would put her down is amazing to behold. She's incredibly talented, and besides Cookie, Becky is basically the star of Empire, to me. Where's her Elle cover?

7. Amandla Steinberg

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Sure, Amandla Steinberg is a young woman, but she's still a woman, and an intelligent, thoughtful one, at that. Women of all ages could take a page from her book, because she's definitely one of a kind. I basically need her on every magazine cover, but I'll take an Elle cover.

8. Uzo Aduba

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How could we forget Uzo Aduba? Everyone knows just how brilliant she is as Suzanne AKA "Crazy Eyes" on Orange is the New Black. She's been scooping up awards for the performance lately, and she's even friends with Taylor Swift. How is she not the first person Elle called for their November issue? It's mind-boggling.