LEMONADE: An Ode to Black Women and Black Lives

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LEMONADE is more than an album.

That can be seen as biased since it's coming from someone who absolutely adores Beyoncé and would break down crying and scream “YES QUEEN,” if she stood in front of me and burped, but right now I'm not speaking as a fan. I'm speaking as a black person in America.

There is so much symbolism and significance in this album that is so easy for white people, and even other people of color, not to see. Beyoncé created this album for the black community; but she especially created this for black women.
                                                            
Beyoncé took this era of music to another level and established herself as one of this generation’s greatest artists. Beyoncé made history by dropping her self-titled album BEYONCÉ without any promotion or attention. Beyoncé outdoes herself once again by giving the world an entire film complete with poetic-like narration that embodies black liberation, displays black excellence, and appreciates black women. She also included the mothers and relatives of various black people whose lives were lost due to police brutality, some of the most famous being Mike Brown and Trayvon Martin, which was known to be one of the most important parts of the entire film. While that scene was on, her song Forward played in the background and was immediately followed by her song Freedom. Doing this, Beyoncé exclaimed to the world that Black Lives Matter.


Bey gave opportunities to black poets, dancers, and Nigerian body artists who were all women.
She even goes to the extent to say that black women are constantly abused within society whether it is verbally or physically by inserting the infamous Malcom X quote: “The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.”

While the Jay-Z’s alleged affair carries a great significance within the album and film, we can't let that overshadow the message that this album carries. Black women, the only person who can understand what you endure are other black women. You need to get in formation because in this day and age, you are the only ones who can be for each other and truly understand each other. Men can be seen as allies, but even the best allies are still misogynistic though they are working to break it down.

Black women, we value you. We will do all we can to protect you. We will do all we can to appreciate you. We will do all we can to stand up for you. However, black women need to be there and embrace each other the most. A black woman is the only one who truly understand the struggle of a black woman.

Get with Beyoncé and get in formation, ladies. Us, allies, will be right behind you learning and destroying misogynoir as you walk forward.

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