LeBron James’ Vanity Fair Cover Gives Us Opulence + a Refreshing Counter-Narrative to Stereotypes

The Vanity Fair cover images serve a healthy dose of Black life as many of us experience it, while also giving voice to Blackness that avoids traditional media depictions of tragedy, strife, poverty and violence.

Last week, Black Twitter went absolutely berserk over Vanity Fair’s recent cover story on LeBron James and his family. Social media users were not only in awe of the breathtaking photos in the feature but also of the representation of Black excellence that is not as common in mainstream media as some would hope. Photographer Gillian Laub nailed a literal picture-perfect spread that was an extreme departure from the hyper-sexed, violent, and overly aggressive mediated images of Blackness that are commonplace throughout mainstream media, social media, film, and television.

Love him or hate him, Lebron James is not playing any games. He is entering his 20th season in the NBA while firmly securing his place as a billionaire. On top of all this, his sons Bryce and Bronny are making names for themselves in the basketball world. With Bronny going to college and Bryce going into his second year at Sierra Canyon…