I was scrolling down Facebook one morning when I saw the headline "Michelle Obama makes despicable comments about Beyonce's racist halftime show." Immediately I clicked on the article, as it contained several words that should never be used in the same sentence (i.e. "Beyonce" and "racist"...it just sounds wrong).
But the controversy can be summed up simply: Beyonce sang a song, "Formation" about black rights, her dancers were in Black Panther-inspired outfits, making many people angry.
So should we be offended by Beyonce's performance?
Well, it helps to get all the facts straight. As I was reading the posts my friends shared on Facebook, I noticed the sheer lack of credibility. Most posts were rants from an iPhone and tweets were used more than actual cited sources.
But the articles seemed to focus on one major point: Racism.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, racism is defined as "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior."
What makes Beyonce racist? In what way has she claimed that her skin color has made her better than everyone else? Or was her racism perceived upon the fact that a strong black female figure was singing about unity and equality. The lyrics to "Formation" preach pride and confidence in oneself, regardless of race. It's a message that can be understood by everyone. In creating her music video and Superbowl performance, Beyonce decided to take pride in her skin color and culture. And she is immediately attacked by protests, backlash and #boycottBeyonce.
I cannot speak for Queen Bey, but I believe that she was using her platform as a multimillion dollar star to raise awareness about the struggles faced by others of her race. And her message rings true and clear. Racism is still an apparent problem in America and judging by the amount of backlash from Beyonce's performance, it is clear to see why.
America has always been a country that sees only the extremes and this will continue to hurt us. A simple plea to "please stop killing us" morphs to quickly into "anti-police." #Blacklivesmatter deforms into #Bluelivesmatter. And taking a stand for your beliefs suddenly puts you in the hands of a firing squad.
So should you be offended by Beyonce's performance? Sure, go ahead. You'll be joining thousands of other who are up in arms. But only seeing the extreme will only set us farther back on the continuing struggle for equality.
And maybe your response to Beyonce's "Formation" says more about your views than hers.
