Beyonce hit with criticism over celebrative video on Africa

Since the Beyonce's trailer’s release, people on social media have aired their opinions on the visual. Some are unflattered over her portrayal of the African continent. 

It was only a few weeks ago when Beyonce intrigued her fans with the surprise release of a new single “Black Parade.”

This was shortly after revealing her new initiative, Black Parade that looks to help black-owned businesses. Once again the multiple Grammy Award winner made headlines with a trailer for her upcoming film on Disney+ “Black is King.”

Black is King

The international pop singer has been on a journey to discover her roots, even revealing that her family traces back to slavery. During a 2018 interview with The Guardian, she reveals her descent from a slave owner who fell in love and married a slave.

The embrace of her roots is manifest in the trailer of “Black is King” which showcases a one-minute appreciation of her heritage. She personally directed the production that has elicited mixed reactions.

Mixed reactions

Since the trailer’s release, people on social media have aired their opinions on the visual. Some are unflattered over her portrayal of the African continent. The debate seems to have coalesced around two viewpoints; one claims that Africa has been portrayed unrealistically while the other claims Beyonce is celebrating Africa in the way she knows best.  

The former group is displeased by the manner in which African Americans portray the continent in a “Wakanda” sort of way. They challenge Beyonce to portray Africa as a regular continent with regular people just like the rest of the world. People dress in normal t-shirts and jeans just like other places, not the portrayal of individuals wearing animal skins and hunting in the forests while chasing wild game with spears and arrows. 

The latter group was excited to see the queen back to the screen. Any Lion King inspired album is bound to grab a ton of attention. It’s a good opportunity for fans to see her show off her beautiful natural hair. Beyonce is an extremely talented artist with a remarkable career of success. She is known for her beautiful voice, skillful dance moves, and her positive activism championing for social change. Last month she gave a powerful call to action when receiving the BET Humanitarian Award. 

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The trailer of the video was released on her Instagram page as part of last year’s Lion King inspired theme and a desire to honor the voyages of African families throughout time. This was confirmed by a press statement released by Disney alongside Beyonce’s company. 

Beyonce describes the visual album as a “labor of love” and a “tribute to Africa.”

Here are some of the comments the trailer drew:

The Wakandafication of the continent and Black diasporic identities is entirely uninspired. The repeated tropes/symbolic gestures that homogenise & essentialise thousands of African cultures in service of securing the terrain for Black capitalist possibilities & futures is tired.

— jade (@jadebentil) June 28, 2020

I’ve come to understand this ✨❤️... I was not showing all that to spite Beyoncé or her work. I love her ... I legit over hype every thing she does. I saw the trailer and was like okay dope. She’s highlighting and amplifying Africa and Blackness which I adore. My thing..

— Say Your Grace