A few weeks ago, after the Super Bowl 50 halftime show, -- which apparently Coldplay headlined? – controversy on social media became widespread. No, no one threw their middle finger up, no one showed their breast; someone sang a newly released song about their background and roots proudly. Their African-American background.

Beyoncé's latest song “Formation” celebrates everything from the unity of black girl to shooting Illuminati talkers down and stating that even though she's made all this money, she's still a country girl from Houston, Texas. In the Super Bowl performance alone, she caused an issue with her dancers dressing like the Black Panthers, which would've turned 60 years this year, to crossing her arms to form an X, presumably for Malcolm X. Her clothes also paid tribute to Michael Jackson, who performed in a similar outfit at the Super Bowl XXVII in 1993. And it's Black History Month! She was making it known that she was making a statement.

I remember reading once that everything Beyoncé does is deliberate. Just like when the music video dropped, released with the song, it touched a nerve with scenes representing Black Lives Matter. In particular was Beyoncé on a sinking New Orleans police car and a young boy dancing in front of a police force -- an image eerily similar to those in Ferguson. After dancing and raising his hand, the police follow suit. In that scene, the words "stop shooting us" also appear written on the wall behind them. Many, mostly all white people, on social media have called this song "racist" and "disgusting" without understanding her intent. She was also called a “cop killer,” “anti-American” and many wondered how she’s able to perform this. Some may not understand is this statement, but this wasn't made for white people. I enjoy it and will admit I've danced to it many times already, but as someone incredibly white, I know this song isn't for me. It's not for the people calling for a ban of the song either. It's for the black men and women who are told their natural hair isn't O.K. For black men and women who get teased for what they look like. It's especially for the black women and men who are repeatedly put down and told them they're not enough.

Through systematic racism, African Americans have experienced oppression for decades. They have been stereotyped, treated unequally and suffered at the hands of law enforcement and the government. One in every 65 deaths of a young African-American man in 2015 was a killing by a police officer. And when they start loving themselves, people can't stand it. They're "cocky" or "acting out." Cam Newton, for example, was criticized for doing his famous end zone dance. And if they dare criticize the police, they're "racist.” Not too long ago, the Oscars came under scrutiny when nominations were announced due to its lack of diversity. Just a few weeks ago, all the nominees came together for a luncheon that The Academy puts on each year. The photo of all the nominees spoke a lot about this lack of diversity. It's become the norm to see this lack of representation everywhere.

All of this online protest soon became real. People joined in, proclaiming their issues with NFL and Beyoncé’s apparent “race-baiting.” This outcry was lead mainly by Fox News, a predominately white, conservative news station. This didn’t come as a shock due to the controversy Fox News has started before. From all the ridiculous statements by commentators to outrageous stories, it was only a matter of time before something was said about Beyoncé. Comments included false accusation about the Black Panthers and her nod to the organization to the song lyrics and of course, the “anti-cop” claims. This backlash soon started up boycotts appearing. One included Florida cops protesting their presence at a future Beyoncé show in Tampa. Security is a major factor for safety because of the risk of fights and crowding, but they question their presence due to the comments they interpret as hate. One of the most famous protests took place outside the NFL Headquarters in New York. While a flyer went out with details of the event, only two people showed up. In response to the anti-Beyoncé event, an anti-anti-Beyoncé event was formed, taking place at same time and same place. Pictures soon appeared online of the contrast of supporters from both sides. This reaffirmed the power and influence of Beyoncé. It also makes me wonder, what is it that makes white people so scared of this black self-love? Beyoncé's song gives people representation. Telling them they're magic, they can slay and, hey, they just might be the next black Bill Gates in the making. So before we start criticizing Beyoncé, maybe we should look at American pop culture. Besides, she's still going to continue her success, whether you like it or not.