Cosmopolitan's First Black Cover Star: Jane Hoffman

0:00It's March 20th, here's what's happening in Entertainment. In 1969, Cosmopolitan magazine put Jane Hoffman on its cover as the first black woman to lead a major national women's publication. Photographer Francesco Scavulo captured her image and the feature treated her appearance as completely routine. Editor Helen Gurley Brown made no big deal of the choice, listing Jane with just a few words in the contents and no special stories spread. This quiet approach stood out during an era when such representation was rare. The cover came right at the close of the civil rights movement, soon after Shirley Chisholm became the first black woman in Congress and just before. The Stonewall riots sparked wider activism. It challenged the usual image of the fun, liberated Cosmo Reader. Jane returned for another Cosmopolitan cover in 1971, helping build momentum for diversity. Her trailblazing role influenced later stars, including Julie Woodson in 1977, Naomi Campbell

1:00in 1990, Beyonce in 2, 2006, and Do Chi Slated for Summer 2025. That 1969 moment captured Cosmopolitan's enduring push to celebrate all kinds of women, proving the magazine's vision of empowerment has only grown stronger over the decades.