Publishers Weekly, the book trade magazine, is apologizing for a cover that has been strongly criticized for being racist.
The magazine’s current issue shows a black woman with a crown of afro picks. The headline reads, “Afro Picks,” a pun referring to an article about African-American literature. The photo was taken from Deborah Willis’ “Posing Beauty,” a new book of portraits and snapshots.
Responding to numerous angry Twitter comments, Publishers Weekly senior editor Calvin Reid calls the picture a sweet, funny and striking image of “quirky black hair power.”
He wrote Tuesday on the magazine’s Web site that he regrets offending anyone, but that it never occurred to him that anyone would be offended. He says he was “very wrong.”
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press.
