In Defense of Beyonce: Why the Controversy?

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Who really won the Super Bowl?

Last Sunday was not any other football Sunday; it was the 50th Super Bowl. The Denver Broncos defeated the Carolina Panthers with an ending score of 24-10; but were they the real “champs” of this event? Not really. I am sure most people would agree-especially the black community.

Any show is always highly anticipated whenever Beyoncé performs. She is a true performer and will go down as one of the greatest entertainers of her time, if not, the greatest. We can all go back to when she performed the halftime show during the 47th Super Bowl. She brought out former Destiny’s Child members, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, to perform some of their number one hits like Miss Independent and Bootylicious.

Instead of bringing out guest performers, she did something more memorable. Beyoncé’s halftime show performance was a political statement. From the choreography to the wardrobe, Beyoncé and her dancers paid homage to black history and the current issues of racial instability.

As 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of the Black Panthers, Beyoncé and her dancers wore outfits that were similar to the Black Panther uniform. They sported afros and black berets, too. The Black Panther Party was founded in Oakland, California, which is less than 50 miles away from the Levi’s Stadium.

Does anyone remember Michael Jackson’s halftime performance? Notice the similarities between the King of Pop and Beyoncé’s military jacket? That was Beyoncé’s way of paying homage to the King of Pop. At one point during the performance, Beyoncé and her dancers formed an “X’ formation which was allegedly a reference to Malcom X. Even her mother, Tina Knowles, posted a backstage picture of the team making the Black Panther salute.

Speaking of formation, Formation is the title of Beyoncé’s new song. She released it the day before the Super Bowl. Formation is said to be a protest and anthem for Black Lives Matter. The video featured a few black cultural symbols, such as Beyoncé sinking a New Orleans police car, a dancing boy in front of riot cops, and graffiti that reads, “Stop Shooting Us.”

It was important for Beyoncé to release Formation during this time because February is Black History Month, and this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Black Panthers. Michael Brown and Donte Hamilton have been gunned down by the police. Many lives have been lost because of police brutality and mistreatment; this must stop. People like Mike Brown and Donte Hamilton had a future. They all had the opportunity to do great things in their lives, but that was all taken away.

To see that there are people in this world who watched her performance and video and thought it was “ridiculous” and “outrageous” baffles me. Rudy Giuliani, for an example, deserves the “Donkey of the Month” award for Black History month. The Breakfast Club, a radio show, was too nice to give him “Donkey of the Day.” The former New York City mayor had nothing but negative things to say about Beyoncé. He believed that this was an attack on the police. Last time I checked, it was the police attacking us UNARMED black people. Ever heard of freedom of speech and the right to protest? Maybe the former mayor forgot what the First Amendment of the Constitution clearly states.

I’m not done roasting him, yet. For the record, Beyoncé did not attack the police. She attacked police brutality. There’s a huge difference. I don’t recall her saying anything about the police in the video. She said, “Stop Shooting Us.” If anyone is mad about that statement, then they must support the police shooting black people. “Stop Shooting Us” does not mean anti-police. Being pro-black does not mean anti-white, either. Please repeat that to yourself at least 10 times.

All in all, Beyoncé wins, and the Denver Broncos, Carolina Panthers, and Rudy Giuliani all lose.

Did I mention this was Coldplay’s halftime show performance? I’ll take two sugars with my tea, please.