Ebony’s tribute to Trayvon Martin stirs controversy
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Did the Tea Party call for a boycott of Ebony magazine over an upcoming cover that pays tribute to
Trayvon Martin?
Ebony’s September issue has four covers: one featuring Trayvon’s parents and brother, and three with photos of prominent black men and their sons wearing hoodies. The covers are to honor the teen who was shot to death by
George Zimmerman last year in Sanford, Fla. Zimmerman’s recent acquittal sparked
nationwide protests and boycotts of Florida by celebrities such as Stevie Wonder.
While the covers were well received by readers on numerous internet sites, such as
Jezebel.com , according to
Ebony, they drew criticism from whites in general, and the Tea Party, in particular, which reportedly called for a boycott of the magazine on its twitter feed.
But did it really?
Atlantawire.com argues that a Tea Party boycott of Ebony magazine probably doesn’t exist and is based on a rumor that was started by one guy on Twitter.
Either way, Ebony is getting extra mileage out of a very moving visual tribute to
Trayvon Martin.
The Ebony cover flap comes right on the heels of the controversy surrounding Rolling Stone magazine’s decision to put Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on its cover.
That Rolling Stone issue sold nearly twice as many copies as an average issue, according to
CTV News.
