Point: Beyonce doesn’t care about Black people

Based on her art, who she surrounds herself with and the causes she promotes, I am confident that Beyonce cares about Black people. The more important question here is: What does it mean to “care” about Black people? And more importantly, what are we truly asking of Beyonce?

My working definition of “to care” comes from Merriam Webster, and means “to feel interest or concern [for].” Knowing this, I argue that to assume Beyonce doesn’t care about Black people is to intentionally overlook her art, her achievements and her politics. While the 23-time Grammy winner has long been cemented as one of the biggest pop stars of the 20th century, Beyonce has recently embraced Black culture in a way that we haven’t seen before.

The “Lemonade” era marked the first time Beyonce unapologetically embraced her Blackness in such a public way. In February 2016, Beyonce released “Formation,” followed by her iconic and slightly controversial performance at the Super Bowl in which she invoked imagery of the Black Panther Party. Her subsequent visual album, “Lemonade,” was a dazzling portrayal of the complexities of love. The “Lemonade” film featured only Black women, with the exception of Jay-Z, and explored themes of motherhood, betrayal and redemption. Beyonce followed that with her Coachella headlining performance two years later, in which she invoked imagery of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Black Greek culture. “Everything is Love,” a joint project with Beyonce and Jay-Z, completed the “Lemonade” era by showcasing 21st century Black love. Ultimately, Beyonce’s art communicates what she believes and what she stands for; Beyonce has indicated that she is interested in themes of Blackness in its many forms and sociopolitical contexts.

Beyonce’s love for Black people predates the “Lemonade” era. Beyonce doesn’t just center Blackness in her art, she puts her money where her mouth is. Point being, Beyonce frequently employs Black people, especially Black women, in meaningful and visible positions, ensuring that Black people are financially benefiting from the imagery of Blackness and Black culture in her art and performances. Since 2007, Beyonce has toured with an all-Black female band, Suga Mama. Her longtime publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure, is a Black woman. Yonce’s background dancers are majority Black, and her choreographer JaQuel Knight and creative director Frank Gatson Jr., are both Black men. B consistently works with Black producers including Pharrell, Mike WiLL Made-It, The-Dream and Timbaland. All of these individuals she has employed or worked with were present in her circles before the “Lemonade” era.

In the world of fashion and creative arts, Beyonce has consistently used her platform to elevate Black individuals. In 2018, she graced the cover of Vogue’s legendary September issue (for the second time, I might add). While Beyonce could’ve hired storied fashion photographers such as Mert Alas, Mario Testino or Inez and Vinoodh to shoot the cover, she hired little-known Tyler Mitchell, a 23-year-old, making him the first African-American photographer to shoot a Vogue cover. In addition to her various humanitarian efforts, Beyonce established the Formation Scholars program in 2017 in which she awarded four scholarships to women pursuing studies in creative arts, music, literature or African-American studies at institutions including Howard University and Spelman College.

When people question Beyonce’s concern for Black people and ask her to “do more,” what does that mean? Are they asking for her to use her platform and resources to elevate Black people? She’s done that. Are they asking her to work toward affecting systemic change? Pause. Why are we asking her to do that? Beyonce knows music, art and fashion. While I’m not trying to place her in a box, I argue that critics should put their effort toward highlighting the Black activists who are already working to affect systemic change. There are already other Black people, particularly Black women, who are affecting change and who don’t get the credit or attention they deserve. Why place additional expectations on celebrities with no formal training or background in these areas?

Before launching critiques toward Beyonce, let us ask ourselves, are we keeping the same energy with other Black artists? Are we calling for other POC artists to do more for the Black community? Critiquing Beyonce is another classic example of those within the Black community calling for Black women to take on additional responsibilities in the elevation of Black people. Her career demonstrates that when Beyonce can choose anyone to elevate or bring on board, she chooses Black people. Is that not enough? When will Beyonce, or anyone else, satisfy the critics?

Demanding that Beyonce does more for the Black community, without offering a definition of what “more” looks like, is irresponsible. What Beyonce is doing is using her music to tackle social issues like Eurocentric beauty standards and financial freedom and wealth creation within the Black community. Her art works in concert with individuals on the ground who are working within and outside of institutions to pursue justice and equity for Black people. Beyonce is Black excellence personified, and by leading her field and continuing to influence pop culture, she is doing and has done enough to demonstrate her concern for Black people and her pride in her Blackness.

Point: Beyonce doesn’t care about Black people