About the covers: Huh. That first one looks like a Leo and Diane Dillon cover! And in that case, they probably were pleased to have a character that could plausibly be African-looking.

Other Dillon covers:

• Abhorsen by Garth Nix
• World's End by Joan Vinge (and that lends even more weight to the idea that your example is by the Dillons ... they also did a famous cover for The Snow Queen, which I have as a poster over my computer - maybe you recall it ... )
• Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula LeGuin