My Letter to Seventeen Magazine

Hi everyone,

I wrote at letter to Seventeen Magazine because (while they are a great magazine) they don't include any diversity when it comes to the people they put on their covers.  I believe that diversity should be celebrated.  Have a look at my letter:

"Dear Ms. Ann Shoket,

My name is Kristen Rutherford, I am 20 years old, and I have been reading your magazine for a long time.  I love looking at the different outfits you all put together, the interesting articles about the cover girls, and the stories about what normal girls go through. 

With that being said, I am an African American girl and have trouble connecting to some of the material in the magazine.  Make up tutorials, hair tutorials, and even some outfit ideas don’t work for me or other girls like me.  Beyoncé and Rihanna were on the cover of Seventeen in 2009 and 2008, and Shay Mitchell has been the only cover girl of a different race since. However, the various races and nationalities in the U.S. should have the chance to be represented.

I understand that you need to sell magazines and putting a well-known celebrity on the cover makes people buy it.  I also understand that the entertainment business does not have a wide variety of diversity.  Nevertheless, there are plenty of beautiful women and men from all different backgrounds who have amazing stories that could be featured on the cover of your magazine. 

Zendaya just starred in a Disney Channel movie, released a full album last year, and will be starring in a new Disney Channel show next summer; Arden Cho is a new cast member of the MTV show Teen Wolf; Joan Smalls, Jordan Dunn, and Chanel Iman are all models for Victoria's Secret and have made major strides for diversity in the fashion world. Michael B. Jordan is going to be the new Human Torch in the Fantastic Four reboot and just starred alongside Zac Efron in the movie That Awkward Moment last year; finally, Tyler Posey is the star of Teen Wolf!

No, your magazine isn’t the only one that has this problem, but you can help make a difference in society and help girls who look like me – and those with every other skin color – feel more appreciated.  It’s 2014 and I believe we should start showcasing the beauty in all races.  I think with your help everything could change.  Thank you for reading this letter and hopefully one day things will be better.

Sincerely,

Kristen Rutherford"