Danielle Herrington Got The Cover Of This Year’s Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition

Growing up, I mainly kept the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition around just to throw my parents off the scent of piano lessons and my love for Designing Women into thinking I was straight. That being said, this kween can appreciate some swimsuit history, which was made this year when Danielle Herrington became only the third African American woman to be the cover girl for the magazine.

People reports Danielle will follow in the footsteps of Tyra Banks, who shared the cover in 1996 before getting a solo one in 1997, and Beyoncé, who had the honor in 2007. I’m glad to see Bey’s and Miss Tina’s press flunky is earning their keep, as People felt the need to articulate Bey wore a variety of House of Dereon (RIP!) swimsuits when she had the cover. Danielle recognized she had some big bikinis to fill:

“Two of my role models are Tyra Banks and Beyoncé, so the fact that I get to join this incredible group of women as I become the third black model on the cover of SI Swimsuit is a dream come true. I am so excited to be part of this iconic brand that has long given identity and voice to women of all shapes, colors and beliefs. I hope that young girls who look at this cover are inspired to dream as big as I did and work hard to attain all their goals.”

She was a rookie in the 2017 issue, so it’s quite the upgrade. Tyra showed up in a terrifying weave and Palm Springs madam cat suit to have Danielle to a fake photo shoot to reveal that she was getting this year’s honor.

Dreams do come true! Watch the emotional moment Danielle Herrington finds out she's our #SISwim 2018 cover model. https://t.co/v7s0Jf70yc pic.twitter.com/WHWO96scfK

— SI Swimsuit (@SI_Swimsuit) February 13, 2018

Tyra was crying, Danielle was crying, that white chick was crying, and even I began to feel something…emotional? No, not tears. Annoyance that in Tyra’s self-promoting America’s Next Top Model skit of saying “One girl stands before me…” she didn’t think to go truly all out! Why not invite the Hadid sisters and whoever else didn’t get the cover to scream out to them, “WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU!” Now THAT would have been a cover moment!

Pic: Sports Illustrated/Ben Watts