Making Lemonade

I know I'm behind the times, but I just watched Beyonce's Lemonade film for the first time and I found it incredibly moving. My understanding was that the album and video were about infidelity. Watching the film, I think the meaning is much deeper. Beyonce said earlier this year to Elle, "I hope I can create art that helps people heal. Art that makes people feel proud of their struggle." I now believe that the whole piece is more broadly about struggle. The women of color that she features in the film are those who have engaged in their own beautiful and powerful struggles. They are women that society has tried to silence, and they are having none of it. There is also an underlying current throughout the film about the marginalization of black women in general, juxtaposed to Beyonce's repetition of the fact that she "slays" and a focus on her strength. This piece struck me in a way similar to Hamilton. It is extremely meaningful to have one of the most powerful (black) women in the world owning her identity in a manner that is radical and revolutionary. Her music is an extension of political stands she has made both last year and this year. She makes me proud of her, myself, and our people.