Author: Amy Nicole
It has been a little over a week since Beyonce’ shut the Super Bowl down with her pro-black halftime performance. Many people (mostly white) thought her performance was offensive and some even called it racist which led to an attempted boycott of the singer’s newly announced Formation tour.
Before the hype of Beyonce’s performance could die down Kendrick Lamar set the media on fire once again with his performance at the 2016 Grammys. His performance was an artistic and powerful tribute to black men.
In the beginning of his performance he marched out on stage shackled in chains with other black men wearing prison uniforms. He approached the microphone and performed his single “Blacker The Berry”.
“You hate me don’t you?”
“You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture”.
It was obvious who Lamar was speaking to in his lyrics hence the awkward and uncomfortable expressions by the mostly white audience.
Lamar ended his performance with his single “We Gone Be Alright” accompanied by dancers dressed in traditional African attire sending the message that despite the hardships that black people have been through we will still persevere.
As a black woman I see nothing wrong with black people embracing our culture. For so many years we have been oppressed, de-humanized and belittled as a race. Black people are once getting starting to embrace who they are and I’m so glad to be alive during this revolutionary period in black culture.
Photo Credit: Matt Sayles/Invision/AP
Photo Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images for NARAS