Entertainment
On Wednesday, it was revealed that Julia Roberts is PEOPLE's Most Beautiful cover star for the fifth time, and something's just not sitting right with me. Since 1990, PEOPLE has featured celebrities like Michelle Pfeiffer, Drew Barrymore, and Halle Barry as their Most Beautiful cover star. The list goes on, but you won't be able to find the type of diversity that represents women of all races. There are countless women of color who haven't been on PEOPLE's Most Beautiful cover. To date, there have only been three black women and one Puerto-Rican woman on the cover, but no other POC — making this a problematic victory for five-time honoree Roberts.
Not only has PEOPLE's Most Beautiful cover been disproportionately white, but any Asian, Native-American, or even trans WOC have yet to make the cover. And I have to wonder why. Although PEOPLE has been able to add a sprinkle of color to their list over the years, we're not even close to normalizing POC's presence in the media and banishing unrealistic beauty standards for good.
I'm sure that Roberts would happily share the crown with these others who deserve a spot on future covers for their accomplishments and overall beauty. Here are just some, of the many, WOC who are worthy of that cover spot.
1
Priyanka Chopra
Quantico's Priyanka Chopra has starred in Bollywood films, including Barfi! She'll also be in Baywatch, set to release this May. Chopra did make PEOPLE's Most Beautiful list in 2016, but not the cover.
2
Kimiko Glenn
The Orange Is The New Black actor has been putting in work on-screen since 2014. You may also recognize her from the Broadway play, Waitress.
3
Tao Okamoto
The Japanese star made her big screen debut in Wolverine, and she's currently working on three film projects.
4
Malese Jow
She's appeared in The Vampire Diaries and even NCIS: Miami. And fun fact: She started her career singing jingles for McDonald's in 1999.
5
Michelle Ang
Remember Alex from Fear The Walking Dead? Yep, this is her when she's not running from zombies.
6
Ming Xi
You likely saw her dominate the runway for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for three years and counting.
7
Janet Mock
Author, activist, and TV host Janet Mock is vocal about supporting the trans community and continuing the fight for a less violent and more progressive society.
8
Laverne Cox
Fans first met Laverne Cox on OITNB, but when she's not behind the camera, she's extremely active in advocating for the transgender community.
9
Irene Bedard
The Native-American actor has starred in The New World and Into The West. She's also working on three TV projects at the moment, according to IMDb.
10
Tonantzin Carmelo
You may recognize this Native-American star from Teen Wolf. Additionally, she's been on-screen since 2002. According to IMDb, she'll also appear in Medicine Men.
11
Iman
The first black (and Somalian) supermodel is still ripping runways and managing her own cosmetics line. While she's appeared in the magazine's list before, she's never been the Most Beautiful issue's cover star.
12
Amandla Stenberg
You've probably seen her in Hunger Games, and she will also be starring in the summer flick Everything, Everything. Not only is Stenberg black and beautiful, but she's also openly bisexual.
The list, as you can imagine, is pretty extensive for WOC who have not yet graced PEOPLE's World's Most Beautiful Women cover. So, here's hoping that changes in the coming years — and the sooner, the better.
