OlderVanity Fair “Africa Issue” 2007
The African-themed July issue of Vanity Fair is being guest edited by U2 frontman Bono — the biggest July issue ever. 20 covers, all shot by Annie Leibovitz reflect Africa and its supporters — Bono, Brad Pitt, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney, Jay-Z, Djimon Hounsou, Chris Rock, Alicia Keys, Warren Buffett, Desmond Tutu, Muhammad Ali, Bill and Melinda Gates, Iman, Don Cheadle, Barack Obama, Madonna, Maya Angelou, Queen Rania of Jordan, President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Here’s a sampling of the celebrities involved:
BRAD PITT Brad Pitt’s activism in New Orleans, Haiti, and Africa has received worldwide attention. His involvement in Africa began in 2004 with visits to Ethiopia and South Africa; in 2005 he helped launch the One Campaign to Make Poverty History. He is also a co-founder of Not on Our Watch, which teamed with the International Rescue Committee to hold premieres of Pitt’s current film, Ocean’s Thirteen, to benefit Darfur. He interviews Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
DJIMON HOUNSOU Once a year, actor Djimon Hounsou visits his family in Benin, where he recently helped rebuild his childhood home. “The goal of the African people is to become self-sufficient,” says Hounsou, who served as a consultant on our portfolio, otherwise “sometimes it does feel like the white man’s burden. Some of the efforts need to be implemented by Africans who do good for the continent. Then people can see that their own people can really make a difference. We are not looking for a handout.”
GEORGE CLOONEY In 2005, George Clooney was going through the Oscar process when he read about the crisis in Darfur: “I wanted to take all the attention I was getting and do something positive with it. [But] you can’t just talk about an issue, you have to understand it fully, you have to be there.” With his father, Nick, Clooney traveled to Chad to film the 2007 documentary A Journey to Darfur. “The more time you spend with the people in the camps, who are holding on by a whisper and still believe that their lives will be better,” he says, “the more you believe that anything is possible.”
OPRAH WINFREY Through her Angel Network, the public charity she founded in 1998, talk-show host and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey has helped fund 28 schools in five African countries as well as personally creating the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, in South Africa, in 2007. She says, “Education is freedom; it’s the only way out. Despite the poverty and despair many of these young African children face every day, they have a fierce determination to get an education. I want to help give them the chance they deserve.”
Check out the full slideshow at Vanity Fair. All 20 covers will be on display in the windows of Barneys New York on Madison Ave through June 19.
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Posted to: Alicia Keys, Barack Obama, Bono, Brad Pitt, Chris Rock, Djimon Hounsou, Don Cheadle, George Clooney, Iman, Jay-Z, Madonna, Oprah Winfrey, Warren Buffett
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88 Comments
Just my two cent, if these people smart enough, why they don’t using Angelina joint with them, she has alot connection, front, back, left and right her,
Just buy and read Angelina book’s, then you can judge yourself, how different what she has done
alots more positive..
Queen Rania is BEAUTIFUL!!!
Angelina has her plate full. They could have added Harry Belafonte, Danny Glover, Mia Farrow, and many others. Angelina has her own covers she does not ned to be lumped in with others. Everyone knows she’s a UN Goodwill Ambassador.
Iman is the ultimate supermodel. She’s always been me and my mom’s fave. I grew up with seeing her and Beverly Johnson’s photos and runway videos. She looks great on the cover of this month’s Town & Country.
Angelina from the new Parade Magazine:
On how to get involved…
“My advice for [those who want to help in the world]: People have the Internet, they have access to magazines, newspapers from other countries, they have access to human rights Web sites, U.N. Web sites, all kinds of discussions on many different things—justice, aid abroad, volunteer vacations. There are many things to explore.
I think the first step is to try to navigate your way through some of that and see where your heart goes. That’s a big part of it. I do think it has to be personal. It has to be strong for it to last and grow, and then it will be a pleasure to work hard to do it.
I know people who now work in Washington, very high-powered jobs, who simply started as young people who decided they would just GET to different countries, and say, ‘I’ve got a pair of hands, and I’ll help—does anybody need me?’ There is a lot to be said for that. If you investigate, there are a lot of volunteer organizations, a lot of NGOs [non-governmental organizations], a lot of religious groups. But first I do think that there is something to knowing who you are and where your heart goes and what you feel you can contribute.”
On her involvement with AIDS orphans…
“A few months ago, we wanted to make a donation to AIDS orphans, to their education, to their well-being, to their survival, and we found that there wasn’t a main organization. There were some, but they were focused in different areas. Then we realized that there were no people lobbying for AIDS orphans, because they are not there to lobby for themselves. So we started a program where we would hire people and collect different lobbyists who had worked on different issues, to fight for THAT issue, to fight on behalf of the kids.”
http://www.parade.com/celebrity/articles/070530-Angelina-Jolie.html
52 Coffecakes | 06/06/2007 at 10:03 am
Queen Rania is BEAUTIFUL!!!
ITA I’m a big fan of hers. Her life is not easy being the youngest Queen in the world, especially when she makes visits to the West but she has that steely reserve that is very admirable. It was easier for some to like Queen Noor becasue she was American but I really like Rania. And she’s quite the beauty.
Seriously - you people can turn any thread into something about Angelina and Brad. There are 20 interesting and influential people on these covers and we’re stuck talking about B&A? Sad. I’m glad B&A do charity work, but so do many others. The world doesn’t revolve around those two.
Oh, and George Clooney - while still hot - is starting to look OLD.
What the hell is GW Bush doing there??????
His Admin hasn’t done si*t for Africa.
http://pics.livejournal.com/pittimpression2/pic/0018p804/g82
since Queen Rania is not American, where is Nelson Mandela then?
HeHeHe….. I LOVE that Angelina is NOT part of this stupid Vanity Fair Issue!! This magazine and especially this african issue is cr@p!!
56 Susiq
he was dance with African people, the whole world had seen !!!! just dance
everything is NOT about brad and angelina folks. My god, stay on topic. Obsess much?! And by the way, the covers are awesome.
Angie ROCKS for NOT being part of this cheesy Vanity Fair issue!!
Guess this blows all your (i.e. alleged brangelina fans) theories that Brad hates Vanity Fair out of the water. As for Oprah, think you are wrong about that too. You don’t know your idol very well if you think he goes around hating on people.
And please, Madonna?????? She just got started and now all of a sudden she is getting publicity for her work in Africa.
REMEMBER! MADONNA HAS ALWAYS GIVEN A LOT OF MILIONS FOR CHARITY ALWAYS, since 1982.
In 2005 she funded Raising Malawi and she decided to go in Africa to see with her eyes the situation.
in 2 years she has made many more things than Angelina.
She has built a Children care Centre, a clinic, she funds several orphanages, a Millenium Village and many many more.
And she never gives interviews, this is the first since her last trip in Malawi in april.
The only things Angelina is able to do are: to give dozens of interviews and to take photos all around the world. She goes in a refugees camp she stays there for 2 days she takes photos and she goes back to her luxury home.
They probably didn’t ask Angelina to be a part of the project because she would take away from the issue. Sad to say but people would focus more on she and Brad being in the same piece than they would on the issue of Africa. Love it that people like Prez George Bush and Obama Barrack can come together for something like this.
All the covers are Amazing!!!!! What a Rad idea!
13 coalharbourqt
I agree with you. Peace.
When will this issue hit newsstands?
Thanks Jared! I like the fact that Brad got to do an interview and is interviewing Desmond Tutu. That should be a very interesting piece. Do you think he is the only one doing an interview? I also like the cover with Warren Buffet and Bill and Melinda Gates, and also Alicia Keys and Iman (very beautiful!).
Djimon and Brad could be brothers - I have always thought they looked so alike - it is cool that they are pictured together!!
Jacinda, it’s on the newsstands in NYC now. I picked up my issue this morning.
It’s the squeaky wheel that gets the oil!
ALL that bring attention, in whatever way to
the pain, suffering and lack of hope this
Nation of people endure daily, i applaud them and say bravo…..let’s make some noise!!!
LOL..
Narcissists have no business here.Go away Madonna. Even George Bush makes more sense.
1. I don’t like how BONO’s name is on ALL the covers. HE IS NOT AFRICAN.
Desmond TUTU’s name should be on all the covers.
2. ONLY LESS THAN HALF of the covers feature ALL BLACK/AFRICAN AMERICANS.
3. CELEBRITIES ARE NOT POLITICIANS, OR POLITICAL LEADERS.
4. BUSH DOESN’T DO ENOUGH ABOUT DARFUR.
5.“The goal of the African people is to become self-sufficient,”
HELLO ARE YOU LISTENING BONO, PITT, CLOONEY?
Please respect people’s right to self government, self determination, and self sufficiency.
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