Dear Johnathan Gentry,
I have watched your commentary on Beyonce’s Super Bowl 50 halftime show and I have some things to say.
You describe the performance as a parading of the anniversary of Black Panther Party, and that if another racial group were to represent their history in such a lavish fashion, black people would be “pissed off.”
You’re most certainly right, the black community would be pissed off, but for good reason. I am going to use the Ku Klux Klan as an example. If supporters of the KKK were to come create a display similar to Beyonce's, I am very sure that there would be outrage from people of all races. This is because the Klan spread the ideology of white supremacy. They terrorized blacks living in the South. They were members of lynch mobs, who robbed the lives of black people while holding the Confederate flag in one hand and the bible in the other. Groups like the KKK ripped apart the spirits of black people and we as a race are still trying to put ourselves back together.
Beyonce was paying homage to Black Panther Party as it was the 50th anniversary of the start of the Black Panther Party. The party was not a favorite in society, as J. Edgar Hoover once called the Black Panther Party the "greatest threat to the internal security of the country.” Despite the negative connotations with the party, they did do a lot of good for the black community. Most importantly, they helped African-Americans be proud of being black.
During the height of the Black Panther Party, the idea of black power was very popular. Blacks during the '60s and '70s never actually received power, but they did begin to see that they themselves had sufficient power to change their current circumstances. Black people were proud to be black and were willing to remove themselves from the traditional, submissive servant roles. Black women were heavily encouraged to join the black power movement because a woman's place is in the struggle.
Beyonce put on a spectacle of black pride. I know seeing this may be shocking to some people, as black people are not often portrayed as strong and powerful. We’re often the comedian, the thug, the drug addict, the maid, the janitor, and so on and so forth. Beyonce had black women wearing black leather with thick full afros -- the signature look of the black power movement. It is understandable that people would be taken aback by seeing strong black women who are proud of their identity and their heritage. You state that Beyonce's performance will have negative effects on younger generations. My question to you is, "What is the actual harm of children seeing strong black women -- especially for young black girls?" As was shown in the documentary "Dark Girls," young, dark-skinned black girls have very low self-esteem and seeing a halftime show like Beyonce’s can only help to increase their love for their racial identity.
You also mention that Beyonce is anti-police. Where exactly did you draw that conclusion? In regards to the halftime show itself, there was no mention or even symbol of anything resembling anti-police thought during her performance. If you’re referring to the "Formation" music video there are a number of images referring to police brutality such as:
1. When Beyonce is lying on top of a sinking police car.
2. The writing on the wall that reads “stop shooting us.”
3.The police surrendering to a little black boy.
The images depicted in the video are not anti-police. What they are is anti-police who shoot innocent black people and get away with it. There is a clear difference. I am very sure Beyonce has respect for law enforcement -- especially those that protect her on a daily basis.
What I take away from your commentary is pure jealousy and a pure hatred for the race to which you were ascribed and identify with. The website where I first found your video predicted you would be marked as an Uncle Tom and I wouldn't be surprised if that did occur. The people that agree with you value their guns and Confederate tattoos more than the lives of people.
Additionally, the way you refer to Beyonce as “this girl” sounds as if it was taken straight from the days of the Jim Crow Law. Are you jealous of her success?
I feel the song "Formation" was written to small people such as yourself who judge how she raises her child, ridicules her choice of a partner, and believes she member OF some secret society. These lyrics are for you:
"Y'all haters corny with that Illuminati mess
Paparazzi, catch my fly and my cocky fresh
I'm so reckless when I rock my Givenchy Dress."
"I like my baby heir with baby hair and afros
I like my Negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils
Earned all this money, but they never take the country out of me."
You say the double standard is “just not fair.” I used say that too, when things did not go my way. At those times, my mother would say to me, “Life’s not fair and one day when you grow up you’ll understand that.”
Sincerely,
Alice
