Vogue’s at it again. Since receiving serious flak over the Lebron James King Kongesque cover stateside, we are presented with another issue that strives to highlight black models in fashion.

I’ve been very skeptical since receiving an email alerting me to Vogue Italia editor-in-chief Franca Sozzani “gutsy” decision to present an all-black cast ranging from Iman to Naomi Campbell, to Lisa Kedebe. The entire July 2008 issue will feature exclusively black models and 17-year-old Briton, Jourdan Dunn–who was discovered shopping at Primark–will grace the cover.Wooohooo!!! Now everyone scream for joy!!

I’m sorry, but too much noise is being made about the exclusive spread of Black women in the current issue of Italian Vogue. An obscenely loud, cacophonous brouhaha over nothing. Italian men have always been fascinated by women of color and this Vogue issue reeks of commodification.

Wherein, women are seen as commodities: cue the so-called video vixens. Most of the models in question do not even affiliate themselves with Africa or black people in general. Jourdan Dunn is young and naive, but the others have done little in lending their voices to the injustice suffered by Blacks around the globe. Iman is too caught up in her marriage to David Bowie; Tyra Banks’ TV show edifies weaves and “ghettoness;” and Naomi Campbell has more legal battles than Johnny Cochran could have handled.

But I can’t help but wonder how such a bold move would work here in the United States. Would Americans be receptive to an all-black issue of American Vogue? Yves Saint Laurent had a particular preference for black models and was a so-called pioneer in this regard: exclusively shooting only Black models. Then again, Black is beautiful.