Come On Essence

I thought that Essence magazine’s “Do Right Men,” an effort to highlight 50 single and successful, good black men, was a really cute idea. However, while viewing the list online, I came across a link to their “Do Wrong Men 2008” http://www.essence.com/essence/dorightmen/dowrongmen.html which listed Lebron James for “refusing to sign a letter condemning the Chinese government’s complicity in the Darfur genocide, attributing his hesitance to ‘not having enough information’” and also for “appearing on the cover of Vogue magazine with a basketball in one hand and Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen in the other.” In case you missed it: 

While I admit that Lebron has been doing some stupid stuff, I think his actions may reflect ignorance more than malice. So while it’s sad that he doesn’t know what’s going on in Darfur and how his Vogue magazine cover perpetuates stereotypes about black men, he should not be singled out as a “Do Wrong Man” but perhaps referenced as an example of why we should be uplifting black men, making sure they have positive examples in their lives, and are getting educated. Just a thought. 

Right or wrong, Essence magazine definitely put a damper on a very positive, enjoyable feature.