via Wikimedia
Since her Destiny’s Child days, Beyoncé never tried to fit her heritage, country accent, facial features, fashion or career aspirations into a mold that excluded her Blackness.
She sings about her highest highs and most painful lows with soul and wisdom. It’s a gift to her entire fan base, sure, but she confesses that who she REALLY does it for is Black people.
To add to her icon status, Beyoncé especially puts on for Black women! Her entire star appeal has incorporated the styles, curvaceous figures, sassy attitudes, strength, and yes, even Southern country accents that Black women are often degraded for.
When Reebok failed to include any Black women in a pitch for an incredibly lucrative endorsement deal, she walked out with zero hesitation - because Black women should hold more positions of power.
Watching (...and rewatching) her historic Coachella performance, the nods to Black culture were too numerous to count.
Just like her 2016 Black Panther-themed Super Bowl performance, this diva took a space that lacked reverence for Black people - our history or artistry - and turned it into a full celebration of HBCU excellence.
Beyoncé has been a fierce entertainer and lasting presence in pop culture. And it is both a joy and a privilege to watch her music, style, and showmanship evolve knowing that she’s doing it all out of love for her people.