TIME Magazine’s Iconic Red Border Goes Black To Mourn 200,000 US COVID-19 Deaths
by Izza SofiaTIME magazine has adopted a black border on its cover featuring a typographic treatment to commemorate the almost 200,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19.
It’s rare for the magazine to deviate from its trademark red border. The other time TIME published a black border was on its 11 September 2001 issue, showing the Twin Towers before they fell.
For the cover, artist John Mavroudis handwrote the US death count for each of the days between 29 February, when the first American died from COVID-19, and 8 September. The figure of 200,000 appeared in the center, while beneath it, the cover read, An American Failure.
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“A failure of leadership at many levels and across parties; a distrust of scientists, the media and expertise in general; and deeply ingrained cultural attitudes about individuality and how we value human lives have all combined to result in a horrifically inadequate pandemic response,” it read. “COVID-19 has weakened the U.S. and exposed the systemic fractures in the country, and the gulf between what this nation promises its citizens and what it actually delivers.”