Photo Credit: Walt Disney Production
Beyonce has spent a number of years highlighting black culture from her most recent Coachella performance to her corresponding Homecoming album and her recent single Black Parade. So at this point in her career, it’s clear what her intentions are. But with everything, there must be controversy. And that couldn’t be any more clear with the reaction to the preview of her Black is King visual album, out July 31st.
Some of the complaints included accusations of Beyonce Americanizing African culture, homogenizing the continent and pushing claims of the continent being perfect pre-colonization. Now for a little history moment here, we know that things before, during or after colonization was perfect. That wasn’t the point. I think we should be able to agree on human rights abuses, slavery and what came along with it was wrong and things would be better if people were treated as humans, not property with limbs cut off for disciplinary actions, etc.
As for homogenizing the continent, she’s recording an album and not a documentary. It’s kind of hard to fit music and visuals with full captions about the imagery you’re viewing and what continent it came from. But whatever. I’ll hop off of my soap boax for now.
Y’all KNOW I love me some Beyoncé but this whole homogenization of African culture is just weird and makes it seem like Africa was ‘perfect’ pre-colonization, it wasn’t
— DaddyLongLegz🦋 (@tessa_mugenya) June 28, 2020
And now for the facts. Beyonce employed hundreds of people at all levels of production to make sure the project was culturally accurate. Her mother Tina Lawson even chimed in with an Instagram post of someone saying that regarding the capitalism argument, if making money was the case, her Lemonade album, being her most black project being her lowest selling album would be reason for her to stop selling music highlighting blackness, but that has yet to happen. She added her own caption explaining the extent Beyonce went to give accurate cultural depictions and that most importantly, she isn’t the enemy.
“Thank you I could not have said it better. It’s really sad that the women who shout the loudest the “protect the black woman” that they are the ones that are trying to tear her down. Sisters wake up!!!! Beyonce was taught from a little girl to lift other women up not to tear them down. She minds her own business , does not criticize anyone, Gives of her time and money , and dedicates her art to Boldly show the Royalty and beauty of our heritage and journey ! Her work is to change the narrative! To show that we did not start off as slaves , but that we were kings and queens before we were forced into slavery . Don’t you want to see something that shows that ! Aren’t you sick and tired Of seeing us as slaves !
She employs African and African-American people , fights for many “first” in the fashion and film world . Take an inventory of yourself and your hate . Where is it coming from ? I ask you to examine your heart and really take a look at what your motive is and what it’s fueled by! Then take that energy critiquing, and tearing down and put it to into an action that is fighting against the systemic racism that is going on right now and has been going on forever . The time that you take to tear her down you could be using that time to do that!! Critique and tear down the systems that hurt and suppress us. Use your social media platform to work on getting people out to vote to change the laws critique the frigging laws!!
Stop being a social media terrorist to the wrong people ! Redirect that passion for change in that !!! Use your energy and great intelligence to fight people who choose to be oppressors. Beyonce is not your enemy!! But you would swear that she was! I love what this post said which is the honest to God truth. She sold more records before lemonade. I have one question for you too that I’m confused about “how do you appropriate the black culture when you are black?? “She has a right to her heritage as well as anyone else in the world. Just consider young sisters i love you🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️❤️ and brothers thankyou for your balance and speaking up. 🙏🏾❤️”
She also responded to a fan thanking them for standing up for Bey.
“@mica4life Thank you darling I know you mean well but the truth is for everyone to criticize her there are 15 who love her! I know this ! but if Beyonce was anyone else’s daughter I would stand up for them in this situation ! It’s not because she is my my daughter that I talk about it , it’s because it’s the right thing to do! The haters are like little gnats takes a whole bunch of them to add up to a fly! But my post is to educate not to tear down our to fight . I don’t let the haters get to me! So thank you but I’ll keep up the fight❤️🙏🏾”
This can be summed up to stating that there will always be complaints and things just won’t be good enough for some people. She gets our respect for the homage to black culture shown here and in recent moments of her career.