In the midst of the Black Lives Matter movement, many protests and discussions have been held regarding the treatment of African-Americans in today’s society, especially in the topic of police brutality. Recently there has been a string of cases regarding police brutality. Whether you think of the cases of Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Michael Brown or Sandra Bland, one can think of many cases of police brutality in America whether it is a well known case or a case that hasn’t received much media attention.
As citizens, we see teenagers, young adults and other allies supporting the Black Lives Matter movement on television through protests and through many social media outlets like Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram but what many citizens don’t see every day is their favorite celebrities taking a stand for movements such as these.
However, Beyonce’s politically driven Superbowl performance Feb. 7 was a bold act that celebrated black culture, black femininity, addressed police brutality and the state of Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Towson’s NAACP discussed the timeliness of her song Formation, and how effectively she used her platform to send a message to America of the issues happening in the black community. Members of the group broke down the lyrics to her song and enjoyed how her intentional messages throughout the song were said so African- Americans can embrace every part of themselves. This is best displayed when she says, “I like my baby hair with baby hair and afros..”
Beyonce’s, Formation, performance was only the first of performances that would be dedicated to black empowerment. Kendrick Lamar’s performance of Blacker the Berry and Alright on Monday night’s Grammy award show was powerful as he depicted the modern day experiences of African Americans. Lamar performed with shackles at the start of his performance signifying the restriction of freedom African Americans have in America. His movements while he was rapping were significant as well. He moved as if he were weary, which could be signified as the tiredness of being constantly beat down, physically and mentally, as an African- American in society.
“His performance was legendary,” said junior, Niya Mills, “If you just look at the reactions after he performed, you can tell who understood the importance of what he said and who didn’t.”
When celebrities make political statements such as these it not only empowers others, but humanizes the celebrity. They’re not untouchable in society; they are targets as well and probably have the same experiences as us. Hopefully, in the near future we see more of our favorite performers empowering those in America who’ve been oppressed and this won’t be the last of performances we witness supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.
If you’d like to see Kendrick Lamar’s performance, check it out here.