Since we were young children, have we not been told to fully grab hold of every opportunity that floats our way, never letting one pass us by? Is this not exactly what Beyoncé is accomplishing as of late?
Just one day before taking the stage with Coldplay during the Halftime Show of Super Bowl 50, Beyoncé dropped her surprise single and video, “Formation,” a song containing definite commentary on recent police brutality, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, and the black experience in America today, as well as self-affirmation and the celebration of southern Black culture. Then, within mere seconds of stepping onto the field the following night, she captured and redirected the attention of millions of viewers with every step she took and every stitch she wore, all in order to pay tribute to those who came before her, while unapologetically celebrating blackness and raising a voice for those who have been brutally silenced.
Embracing the continuous media attention she receives, Beyoncé consciously decided to positively and thoroughly exploit her platform as a well-known and successful artist. Without a doubt, Beyoncé possessed every intention to make it viciously clear that, even though 2015 was a relatively quiet year for her, she still is incredibly grounded in who she is as a black woman, that she's aware and paying attention to the injustice that is happening in our nation, and that she is fully embracing her roots, which she hasn't lost in the midst of fame.
Immediately following the performance, people took to the internet to express their opinions regarding the statement Beyoncé had just made to the world. Those opposed to and offended by everything they just witnessed, strongly believe that the Super Bowl was to be a time to escape all the "nonsense" that's been happening in our nation, and that Beyoncé completely disregarded this by pouring salt into wounds. Some have even gone as far as to say her performance was: a slap in the face to law enforcement, race-bating, shameful, a message of black power and black supremacy, and basically an act of war.
There are several key concepts that urgently need to be clearly discussed in order to begin bridging the gap between people on either side.
Being against the needless murdering of black people does not mean anti-police. Supporting #BlackLivesMatter and proclaiming that one is "pro-black" does not mean "anti-white."
"Pro-black," by definition, means affirming Black bodies and culture while being against white supremacy. Nor does it mean that only Black Lives Matter, but instead it acknowledges the violence that the Black community has had to experience that not all lives have had to.
The assumption that the two are synonymous is to assume that this is a personal attack, rather that addressing an entire corrupted, constructed system.
It's clearly obvious that not everyone will agree with the way black people have chosen to rally together for their freedom, and not everyone will understand the true intentions of these groups.
However, being offended by something is more of a personal effort and decision rather than the actions or words of the other person. It is rooted in not being willing to step outside of one's preconceived notions in order to grasp the reality that's clearly being neglected.
Beyoncé used her power, platform, and the opportunity to perform to put a spotlight on the prevalent racial tension in the United States, to bring awareness that people are still being judged by and killed because of the color of their skin, and to highlight the inequality and direct discrimination that is still a major part of our government.
If one denies or refuses to see Beyoncé actions in this light, then that's honestly one's own fault, not that of the black community, and I guess then the person should be offended.
