Black is King
Let’s talk about Mrs. Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Black is King.
Beyoncé literally does it again. As the entire world already knows, on July 31, 2020 Beyoncé released her highly anticipated musical film and visual album directed, written and executive produced by no one other than herself. The film serves as a visual companion to the 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift, a tie-in album curated by Beyoncé for the 2019 remake of The Lion King. Now there will be a million articles, reviews, post, public opinions, blog post, and so forth about Black is King that we all have read or will read. I am just here to give you my little perspective of the film.
A Beyoncé fan or not, if you saw the film you had to feel in awe, inspired, happy, lifted, emotional, a deep sense of connection to who you are and where you come from, relished fully at all the beauty on the screen that was in front of you, or maybe even you felt like you should be doing a hell of a lot more in life. I am sure Beyoncé reminded you that most people are not even trying in life or that you need to go a lot harder at whatever it is you want to do. Beyoncé proves again why she is the harder working woman in the industry. The film, I believe was executed almost flawlessly from an artistic standpoint, it simply should be considered a masterpiece. This should easily get her an Academy Award nomination and if not a solid W. Beyoncé and her team did a great job with their strategic, deliberate, and methodical planning into this film and the multiple messages that were conveyed.
One of the main messages in this film for me is a reclamation of all things BLACK. Black heritage, black culture, black family, black excellence, black power, black love, black beauty, black men and women, black children, black possibilities, black dreams, black hope, black courage, black strength, black opulence, black fortune, black legacy, and literally how BLACK IS KING. I think as black people we sometimes forget the power in which we possess in every sense of the word and in every capacity. As we know and a lot of other people love to deny, but black culture is THE CULTURE. We move the needle, we set the standard, we create and make the trends, and everyone follows and emulates us. I think film pushes narrative to reclaim what is ours, build what is to be ours, realize what always has been ours, and not to get lost ever again.
“Let black be synonymous with glory.”
The second message I got from this film was as community, as black individuals, no matter your origin we have to get back. When I say get back, I mean truly get back to our ROOTS. We have to get back to where we come from, who our ancestors were, who we are, and who we were always destined to be. For myself, I identify as a black woman, simple as that nothing more or less. My ancestry of where my roots and lineage come from, I honestly could not tell you. It hurts my heart to say that because I want to know! As a black woman living and breathing the only culture my family and I have known for generations to be “American” is NOT my culture. This is the sad reality for a lot of black people living in the United States. Beyoncé’s film push the narrative of going back and finding ourselves in literally the first 5 minutes into the movie when she says, “You are welcome to come home to yourself”. As black people, we have to learn our history, connect to our roots, understand where we came from, and rewrite the narrative of a new generation that has previously been stolen so many generations ago.
“To live without reflection for so long might make you wonder if you even truly exist.”
Lastly, I personally think this film was released during the most perfect time where racial tensions are the highest they have ever been and at a time when it seems like being Black in America is once again one of the hardest things ever. Beyoncé reminded us why being Black is literally THE SHIT and why most if not all of us would die and come back Black again and again. Black is truly King. We are royal, we are king and queens, and we are masters of our own destiny. I hope Beyoncé’s film gave you the courage, inspiration, hope, strength or whatever it is you need to tap into yourself and to tap into your history. I hope we all are reminded of the beauty and power that there is being Black. And while being your BLACKEST most powerful self there is NO SHAME, ever, in being who you truly are regardless of who likes it, loves it, or hates it.
“How can I say I believe in God and call myself a child of God and then not see myself as God.”
