Who influences the world? Beyonce does. A few days after it was announced that Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o was the cover star of People Magazine’s “Most Beautiful People” issue, news surfaces that Beyonce was named one of the world’s most influential people by Time Magazine. She also graces the cover of the mag.
King Bey made the list last year as an “Icon,” while her husband Jay Z took a cover spot. This year, it’s all about Mrs. carter and her accomplishments which were highlighted and praised by “Lean In” author Sheryl Sandberg. Sandberg called Beyonce a boss. She then applauded Beyonce for running her own business empire while holding down her roles as a wife and mother.
Beyonce isn’t the first black woman to grace the cover of Time Magazine. The mag has featured high-profile black women from different walks of life. Check out a few below.
Oprah Winfrey
The Queen of Media covered the magazine back in 1998 when she was promoting her return to acting in “Beloved.” Based on the Toni Morrison novel, the film tanked at the box office. Oprah Winfrey didn’t step foot in front of a movie camera again until 2013’s “The Butler,” which she should gotten a Best Supporting Actress nomination for, but we won’t even go there.
Michelle Obama
America’s First Lady graced the cover of Time during the first year of her husband Barack Obama‘s presidency. The article was an in-depth look at how Mrs. Obama maintained her grace and poise in the face of bitter criticism of her and her husband. The piece also looked at how Michelle Obama was changing the face of the White House just by simply being the lady of the house.
Aretha Franklin
When Aretha Franklin graced the cover of Time in 1968, it was truly a feat for a Black person, let alone a black woman. Franklin was having a banner year. She was the best-selling female artist of the year and her music had begun to shed the label of “Black Music.” In 1968, Aretha Franklin was truly crossing over into mainstream popularity. Her cover photo was an oil painting done by famed artist Boris Chaliapin. The original painting now rests comfortably in the Smithsonian Museum’s National Portrait Gallery.
Gabby Douglas & Lolo Jones
When it came time for the 2012 Olympic Summer Games, you kept hearing two names for very different reasons. Gymnast Gabby Douglas was on everybody’s brain because she had the potential to be the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal for Team USA. On the other hand, Lolo Jones was hyped to be a great track and field star and yet she choked in most of her competitions. However, the two women each got their own special edition cover when Time was previewing the 2012 Summer Olympics.
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