(Photo: Essence Magazine)

The summer Olympics may be long gone, but America's infatuation with gymnast Gabby Douglas is far from over. The 16-year-old star athlete is gracing the cover of Essence's December issue looking festive in gold and black. The issue features the Women of the Year and Douglas is definitely one to celebrate. She not only helped the U.S. women's team win its first gold medal in gymnastics since 1996, but she was also the first woman of color to nab the gold in the all-around competition.

"In my dreams I didn't think about how many shows I would be on and how many people would tweet me…it’s so cool!" Douglas tells Essence.

Powerful stories about first lady Michelle Obama, Robin Roberts, Serena Williams, Trayvon Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, and the late Whitney Houston and Donna Summer are also included in the issue.


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