Dissect - BLACK IS KING by Beyonce (Part 6)

Episode Date: March 25, 2021

Our special mini-series on Beyonce’s BLACK IS KING concludes with an examination of “BLACK PARADE.” Released on Juneteenth 2020, “BLACK PARADE” is Beyonce’s final call to action and a prideful celebration of the African motherland. Shop our limited merch for this series at shop.dissectpodcast.com. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @dissectpodcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From Spotify, this is Dissect. Long-form musical analysis broken into short digestible episodes. I'm Cole Kushna. And I'm Titi Shodea. Today we conclude our six-part examination of Black is King by Beyonce. In our last episode, we saw Simba complete his journey and embrace his kingship and worthiness. In the film's final scene, we watched him hold up his child, signifying the circle of life he has come to understand as the result of his journey.

The screen then cuts to Black and a title card appears, Black is King. We then hear triumphant horns playing music reminiscent of a royal procession or a marching band at a historically black university. These are the opening moments of Black is King's final track, the subject of our episode today, Black Parade. As these celebratory horns play, we see a home movie of Beyonce dancing while she holds her son Sir Carter in a loving embrace. Given that the story of Black as King revolves around Beyonce guiding a black boy on his journey to become a man, the appearance of Sir Carter here at the end of the film suggests that the entire film can be seen as a message to Beyonce's actual son, a message that is meant to guide him as he faces many of the same choices that Simba faced in the film. We next see text appear on the screen that reads, quote, dedicated to my son, Sir Carter, and to all our sons and daughters, the sun and the moon bow for you. You are the keys to the kingdom. Along with identifying her son and other black sons, sons and daughters as the people who Beyonce most wants to reach with her film, this dedication also makes a clear reference to the earlier track, Keys to the Kingdom.

As we discussed in our previous episode, Keys to the Kingdom is spoken from the perspective of a mother or queen, encouraging a child to recognize the healing power that's hidden inside him. The lyrics also contain a reference to the biblical story of Joseph, whose dream about the sun and moon bowing to him, foreshadowed his parents bowing to him after he ascended to the throne in Egypt. The specific phrase, Keys to the Kingdom, is a reference to Jesus choosing a disciple named Peter

to lead people from all nations into God's heavenly kingdom. And so with these two biblical references, Beyonce seems to be asserting that her son and all black children are called to be the political and spiritual leaders who heal the world by uplifting those around them. As we continue to watch the home video and reflect on the significance of this dedication message, the music suddenly.

shifts. While Black Parade is used as the score for Black as King's credits, the song was originally released as a single about a month before the film's release. In a very symbolic fashion, the exact release date was June 19th, 2020, a date that marked 155 years since the end of slavery in the American South. Given the information typically presented in high school history books, many Americans might assume slavery ended in the middle of the Civil War when Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation into effect on January 1, 1863. But the emancipation proclamation only affected places where Union troops from the north had defeated Confederate troops in the South. After two more years of fighting, decisive Union victories forced the Confederacy to surrender on

April 9, 1865. Still, continued Confederate resistance and delays in the spread of information to the Southwest meant that black people in Texas remained enslaved until June 19, 1865. It was only then that the Union naval ships landed on the port of Galveston, Texas, and announced that all those who were formerly enslaved were now set free and afforded equal rights. In memory of this momentous day, June 19th became the annual holiday known as Juneteenth. Every year, formerly enslaved Africans would go back to Galveston to enjoy parades, barbecues, prayer services, and speeches from the elders of the community. Over the next century, Juneteen celebrations would go through,

a decline and then a resurgence, which eventually led to the Texas state legislature to recognize Juneteenth as an annual statewide holiday beginning in 1980. Outside of Texas, Juneteenth remained largely unknown to most non-black Americans until 2020, when the deaths of Amad Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd caused many to reexamine the history of injustice committed against African Americans. In an Instagram post from late June, Beyonce highlighted how these murder and the resulting social unrest brought increased relevance to Black as King. Quote, The events of 2020 have made the film's vision and message even more relevant

as people across the world embark on a historic journey. We are all in search of safety and light. Many of us want change. With this desire for change as a core motivation, Beyonce released Black Parade on June 10th and announced that the proceeds from the song would go towards Beyonce's Be Good Foundation. Be Good used the process,

seeds to create a black business impact fund that awards grants up to $10,000 to help black business owners during the coronavirus pandemic. Beyonce also used her own website to launch an online black business directory called the Black Parade Route, which features links to hundreds of African and African American-owned businesses that were curated by Beyonce's stylist Zerina Akers. This directory continues to be promoted in a new Instagram page called Black-owned everything. Here's Zerina talking about this initiative. I was a part of many discussions, many discussions about corporate relations and these high, you know, fashion corporations and brands and design houses, how they've treated many people that work for them, how they maybe have not hired many people of color.

And really just kind of calling them out, you know. Like, I realized that to me, what will really go a lot further would be to turn those efforts inward, you know, because okay, you can call out. these brands for a while, but then someone else changes at the helmet. You know, it kind of can just kind of fade off because it can get way more exhausting. But if you take that same energy and you promote a black on brand or a brand of color, a black creator, what have you, then that simple sharing, that sort of culture of sharing can go a lot further for that brand, for that person. I mean, there are definitely things, rules change. Great. You know, but these young creators can benefit and really build, you know, things that can sustain their lives.

So I came up with Black-owned everything to actually, I mean, initially it was to keep track of all the companies that were being shared. But quickly, as I started to discover all of the various different categories that we span across in terms of what we were creating, I was like, okay, I can't, like, keep this to myself. And Beyonce wanted to release. Black Parade and wanted to do, you know, something highlighting Black-owned businesses. So she had me, along with a few other people, curate this list. And that then just went bananas. It has created such an effect and driven so much revenue to some of these brands

and a time where many people really needed it. Beyonce's strategy of launching Black-owned everything, the Black Parade route, and Black Parade on Juneteenth makes clear that she was not satisfied with merely creating an entertaining piece of music. She wanted to create a movement. The use of Black Parade as the soundtrack for Beyonce's dedication to her son suggests that this new movement is ultimately meant to exemplify Black excellence for the benefit of all Black sons and daughters. And so even before hearing the lyrics of Black Parade, we should expect that,

Beyonce is going to speak directly to the descendants of her African ancestors and calling them to join the parade. To the south, I'm going back, back, back, back when my roots ain't water down. Growing, growing like a bob-bub tree of life on for the ground. Beyonce begins her first half-sung rap verse by declaring, I'm going back to the south. Here, the South refers to the southeastern United States, which includes Houston, Texas, where Beyonce was born and raised. The greater Houston metropolis area includes Galveston, Texas, the city where enslaved Africans first heard the news of their freedom on what is now Juneteenth. Beyonce's mother, Tina Knowles Lawson, was actually born and raised in Galveston and still owns a beach house on Galveston Island. The wider focus on the south here at the onset of the song also acknowledges the region being where most African Americans, including Beyonce, can trace their lineage due to the legacy of slavery.

After slavery was abolished, most African Americans continue to live in the South. However, between 1916 and 1970, the constant terror of lynchings, segregation, and poverty led 6 million African Americans to leave the South and move to urban areas in search of safety and greater economic opportunities. This mass relocation, which is often referred to as the Great Migration, has subsequently shaped the demographics of cities across America. And so for many African Americans who lived in the north and west, going back to the south is an act of retracing their history

and confronting the legacy of slavery, and the first step on their way back to the broader south of the African continent. In Black is King, this theme of black people returning to the home of their forefathers was first introduced on Find Your Way Back. There, Beyoncé recalled how her father encouraged her to explore the world, but emphasized the importance of finding her way back home. In Black Parade, the importance of returning to the place of her forefathers is highlighted with the opening verses subsequent lines,

I'm going back to the south, where my roots ain't watered down. With roots describing a deep connection that one has to their family, ethnicity, and culture, and watered down describing something that's lost its potency due to dilution, Beyonce suggests that going back to the south will allow her to be in a space where black culture has not been weakened by Eurocentric influences. This metaphorical use of roots and water sets up the following line, grow in like a baobab tree, of life on fertile ground. Here Bionte expounds upon the idea of having cultural roots

by liking herself to a baobab tree, a unique genus of trees and perhaps the most iconic plant on the African continent. Balab are known for their disproportionately wide trunks that can grow to a width of 45 feet due to their ability to store large amounts of water. Some baobab trees can store up to 120,000 liters of water, which is enough to provide 450 people with a year's worth of drinking water. This water storage is needed because baobabs grow in areas of Africa that only have two seasons, a wet season and a dry season. During the periods of limited rain, the water from a baobab tree sustains the entire ecosystem around it. A single tree can provide food and water for an enormous number of creatures because the trees are thought to live for over 2,000.

years. The longevity and life-sustaining properties of baobab trees has led to the tree being nicknamed the Tree of Life. Beyonce makes a direct reference to this nickname which he says, growing like a baobab tree of life on fertile ground. It's interesting to note that the term tree of life exists in many other ancient cultures. Most famously, the narrative of the Hebrew Bible begins with God creating humanity, placing humanity in the Garden of Eden, and planting a tree of life to provide fruit that would allow humanity to live eternally. By informing us that baobab trees are known as the tree of life, Beyonce seems to be showing how Africa is the true location in which God chose as the

life-sustaining origin of all humanity. At the same time, by comparing herself to a baobab tree, Beyonce is asserting that she is a tree of life who is able to sustain the lives of numerous individuals in the black community, be it her own family or the larger community through things like the Black Parade Route Business Directory and Be Goods Black Business Impact Fund. This metaphorical depiction of Beyonce as a tree was actually first established all the way back on the opening song bigger. We are winners. I'll be the roots. You'll be the tree. That's on the fruit that was given to me. Legacy. In line with a number of scenes and symbols coming full circle toward Black as King's end, a boobab tree appears in a shot from the final song, Spirit. That shot of the boabab tree was immediately followed by Beyonce standing in front of a white feather.

fabric tree, where pairs of men and women sat on the ground as if they were the ancestral roots of Beyonce's tree. Finally, it seems worth noting that in the Lion King movie, Rafiki the Baboon, lives in a boabab tree. Rafiki plays a pivotal role as the figure who reconnects Simba to his ancestors. Much like Rafiki, Beyonce seems to be using Black Parade to offer spiritual guidance to individuals in the African diaspora, which can be heard as a song continues. Beyonce put me on game On time on gold chains

With my whole shoe in a jail Drip all on me Beyonce raps My ancestors put me on game Putting someone on game refers to a more seasoned person or expert explaining the rules of a game Hustle or profession

To an aspiring player And teaching them how to succeed By saying her ancestors put her on game Beyonce asserts that her ancestors Have played an active role in teaching her to succeed despite the fact they've passed away. The idea that deceased ancestors continue to provide guidance for their descendants is a key motif within both the Lion King and Blackest King. This motif is based on the common belief throughout Africa that one success can be attributed to

the ongoing influence of their ancestors. Recall that in the Ifah tradition, ancestors who pass away after accomplishing extraordinary endeavors are recognized as divine beings known as Orishah. The Aresha guide humanity on how to live and be successful on earth. If you trace the idea all the way to its roots, Beyonce's claim that her ancestors put her on game seems to be directly inspired by African spiritual traditions. This source of inspiration is then confirmed in the following line, Ankh Charm on Gold Chains with my Oshun energy.

We actually heard Beyonce make a similar reference to the Ong Charm and Gold Jewelry on Mood Forever. It was there that she said, onk on my gold chain. Appearing in Egyptian artwork as early as 3,000 BC, the onk is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol that looks like a loop attached to the top of an uppercase T. In ancient Egypt, the ink was most commonly used to represent the Egyptian word for life. Onc symbols made out of gold were often worn on necklaces as good luck charms or amulettes, as it was believed that hieroglyphic symbols would impart the qualities represented by the symbol to anyone who wore it.

Ankh charms specifically were worn in hopes of sustaining life in the current world and in the world to come. Over the centuries, the onk has been adopted by various groups. For instance, Egyptians within Eastern Orthodox Christianity have used the Ang for nearly 2,000 years to represent Jesus' life-giving cross. In episode 4, we also detailed how the ink appeared in Egyptian iconography that showed Queen Nefertiti receiving the light of God and then giving life to all of creation in the form of onc symbols. The association of the onc symbol with Queen Nefertiti also seems to have inspired the adoption of the symbol by African Americans who have rejected the influences of

Eurocentric culture. The symbol gained increased popularity among African American women when singer Erica Baudu released her 2010 album entitled New America Part 2, Return of the Inc. In interviews about the album, Badoo asserted that the onk depicts female reproductive organs and symbolizes divine feminine power. connection between the Ankh and divine feminine power leads directly to the following line where Beyonce claims to have Oshun energy. Recall that Beyonce seemed to depict Oshun and brown skin girl as she lay in a garden in a stunning yellow dress. As you'll remember, Oshun is the orisha of femininity, fertility, sensuality, beauty, and love. Meanwhile, the word energy is the word

that many English speakers use to refer to the Yoraba concept of Ache, which was chanted during the chorus and water. As we noted during our discussion of water, Ashe literally means it will happen, so it's referring to the power to produce change in the world. In the Ifah tradition, Ache is the power that the supreme God gave to the Aresha so they could create the world. Those who practice Ifa spirituality believe that if they worship in Orisha, their Arishah will transfer their Ache energy to the worshipper. So when Beyonce claims that she has Oshun energy, she's aligned herself with Oshund to receive her divine feminine power and capacity for fertility, beauty, and love. We should also recall that Beyonce depicted herself as Oshund in the second chapter of her previous project, Lemonade.

In the subsequent chapter of Lemonade, Beyonce is actually seen wearing a diamond-encrusted Ankharm on a gold chain as she flexes the power she has over her male partner. So the line, Oncharm on Gold Chain with my Oshun Energy and Black Farade seems to be a cone. illuminating image of her journey through the last two visual albums. It's an image that reveals the empowered state of being that Beyonce now embodies as she has embraced more elements of African culture. Beyonce continues to focus on African symbols, jewelry, and fashion. She sings, drip all on me, Ankara Dashiki print. Drip is, of course, slang for expensive clothes or jewelry,

and is a term whose rising popularity is often credited. to the rap group Migos. As we can't through dripping, drip, drip, drip, drip. Diamonds on my wrist, they tripping. Ice. As we can hear from this hook, wearing diamonds seems to be the prototypical way to drip. Specifically, they refer to diamonds embedded

in their wristwatches. The ad lib ice we hear in the background is slang for diamonds and also provides a potential explanation for how the term drip acquired its meaning, as ice will drip water when it's near something or someone who's hot. Given that Beyonce is tapping into a term that's normally used for expensive jewelry and clothes, we might expect her to name-drop a designer brand like Gucci.

Instead, she claims that she's dripping when she wears Ankar-Dashiki print. The word Deshiki is derived from a Yoruba word for shirt and refers to a colorfully embroidered, loose-fitting t-shirt that is commonly worn in West Africa. During the civil rights era of the 1960s, Doshikis became widely popular among African Americans, who wore them as a symbol of African-Americans. and the struggle against the legacy of slavery. Ankara print, also known as African wax print,

is an iconic type of dyed cotton fabric that's ubiquitous across sub-Saharan Africa, particularly West Africa. Ankara fabric is typically dyed with vibrant colors and patterns that are distinctly African. The fabric's construction is economically diverse and can be worn to formal and informal events by all classes, rich or poor.

The accessibility of Dashis and African wax print clothing for people across the economic spectrum, contrasts sharply with the designer European brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Versace. Brands that rappers normally flaunt when they claim to be dripping. By associating Ankara-Dishiki print with dripping, Beyonce celebrates fashion that is made by Africans, for Africans, on the continent and the diaspora. This celebration translates to real life through the Black Parade Route Business Directory and its ability to specifically filter for African-owned businesses, including over 160 African fashion. brands. Beyonce's refusal to be limited by Eurocentric Western thinking continues in the following

line. Hold up, don't I smell like such a Nag Champa incense? Nog Champa is a particular blend of incense that originated in India, where it's been used for centuries in Hindu temples for worship and meditation. In the 1960s, the use of Nag Champa incense became popularized in the West by hippies who were influenced by various modern spiritual movements that are often characterized as New Age. New Age spiritual movements typically adopted elements of Eastern religious practices such as meditation and combine them with modern ethics and sensibilities. As such, new age spirituality can be seen as a reaction against the constraints and historical shortcomings of Western thinking and Western Christianity. Historically, New Age spirituality was

predominantly adopted by white European Americans. However, in the years leading up to Blackest King, age practices had grown rapidly within the black community, particularly among African-American women. Beyonce's reference to Nagchampa Incense confirms that her rejection of Eurocentric Western culture is driven by spiritual reasons as much as economic ones. It also seems worth noting the lyrical flow that Beyonce uses for this line. It's a modified version of what's called the triplet flow. We'll spare you the technical details here, but this triplet flow now dominates modern hip-hop, and its popularity is largely credited to the aforementioned Migos. We can hear a modified triplet flow similar to Beyonce's on the track T-shirt from the 2017 album,

Culture. This subtle illusion to Migos becomes more noticeable as Beyonce continues black parade wrapping, pure ice, bust down, flooded on my wrist out. These two lines contain several direct references to diamonds. As we discussed earlier, ice is slang for diamonds embedded jewelry. Ice seems to carry the same meaning here since like Cardi, B, and Migos, Beyonce also uses a phrase on my wrist to refer to wrist watches that has been customized with excessive amounts of diamonds. Since someone wearing so many diamonds is bound to be dripping profusely, rappers also use the term flooded to describe a piece of jewelry or person who is covered in ice.

Fittingly, both flooded and bust down can be heard in Migos' track, Flooded, on the 2018 album, Culture 2. I'm flooded, flooded, flooded, flood it, my nitty shit cost them. I bust down your bitch with my brothers. Looking back at the most recent four lines on Black Parade, it appears that each line plays homage to Migos and the influence they've had on Black culture. Migos' goal of influencing black culture is apparent in their first two major label albums, titled Culture and Culture 2, respectively. By choosing to reflect Migos' style and a section of lines about rejecting the influence of Eurocentric Western culture, Beyonce effectively demonstrates how modern hip-hop is a part of a long tradition of Africans,

forming and preserving their own spiritual, economic, and artistic culture. Beyonce continues her Migos-inspired, repetitive triplet flow as she raps, going up Motherland drip on me, melanin, my drip is skin deep. Beyonce asked the African continent, the motherland, to drip on her. Given that this line contains the word drip and comes after several references to diamond jewelry, Beyonce may be highlighting the fact that 75% of the world's diamonds were mined in Africa. We should also note that when Beyonce talks about her drip being skin deep, she repeats the word melanin. Within the makeup industry, the term deep is often used to describe.

dark brown skin while melanin refers to the naturally occurring pigments that determine skin color in humans. Recall that on the track, Brown Skin Girl, Blue Ivy sang about how brown skin is as valuable as pearls. In the second verse, Beyonce mentioned melanin just a couple of lines after saying that her former bandmate Kelly Rowland can cause a flood with her drip. Finally, in the third verse, Beyonce insisted that her girl's skin glows like diamonds. These lines from brown skinned girl confirm that Beyonce sees an inherent parallel between melanin and valuables, or one's drip. By saying melanin, my drip is skin deep, Beyonce asserts that the most valid.

valuable gift Africa has given to the world is not found deep inside a diamond mine, but rather is found deep inside her skin. Beyonce's repeated efforts to highlight the inherent value of brown-skinned girls leads directly to the next line on Black Parade. I can't forget my history is her story. Her story is a term that refers to history that highlights contributions of women from the perspective of women. The term was first used by activists in the second wave feminist movement of the 19th.

These activists criticized the way in which history books tend to focus on the actions of kings, politicians, and military generals, all of whom were predominantly male. This focus on great men means that history is often treated as his story, a story that is owned and controlled by men. In order to correct this imbalance, many feminist scholars have argued that whenever we encounter a woman who's being ignored by history, we need to encourage that her story is in it in a way that can no longer be ignored. At the same time, we should note that within the context of Black Parade, the mother who Beyonce seems to be the most focused on is the motherland.

After repeating the word motherland six times in the previous lines, it seems Beyonce is asserting that the story of Africa is her own story. Aside from the fact that Beyonce's ancestors come from Africa, she likely sees striking similarities in the way that Africa is frequently ignored by the same Eurocentric Western history books that ignore women. Yet, just like women are responsible for giving life to every human on the planet, Africa is the continent that gave birth to the entire human race more than 200,000 years ago. The story of Africa is really the foundational story of each and every one of us, even those who continue to harbor racist attitudes towards black Africans, African Americans, and other descendants of the diaspora.

As the first verse comes to an end, Beyonce switches away from a rap delivery and sings, Being Black, maybe that's the reason why they always mad. Yeah, they always mad. Beyonce here seems to be questioning why she constantly faces animosity from an unnamed they. Given the legacy of racism in Western culture,

Beyonce supposes that the reason for this animosity is because she's black. She then goes on to conclude that they are jealous, as she sings, Been Past Him, I know that's the reason why they all big mad. and they always have been. Within the world of hip-hop, the use of they to refer to those who are jealous may be in part inspired by the hip-hop producer DJ Khalid, whom Jay-Z began managing in 2016. In his book The Keys, DJ Khalid wrote, quote,

They are the enemy. They want to keep the keys hidden and block you from the pathway of more success, and they want to see you fail. If it brings you joy or success, you can guarantee that these people will do everything in their power to stop. be from accomplishing it. Eventually, you'll see their evil energy. Dita Khalid's use of the word they here mirrors how Beyonce used the word they throughout Black as king. In the opening verse of the film's opening song, Beyonce alerted Simba and other black children to the existence of adversarial figures who hide key details of African history. She's saying, you're bigger than the picture they framed us to see. And later, life is your birthright. They hid that in the fine print. We previously suspected that

the word they referred specifically to colonizers and slavers and other white supremacists who have tried to prevent black people from finding success by putting black people in chains and hiding the keys. This pattern of hiding keys is exactly why Beyonce told Simba, Sir Carter, and all the other black children, that they're the keys to the kingdom. Beyonce wants black children to recognize that they're the ones with the power to break the chains of repression and open the way to success for all black people. Beyonce sings, Honey come around my way around my hive. Whenever Mama say so, Mama say. Here Beyonce refers to the listener as honey before encouraging the listener to join around her hive,

obviously referring to a beehive where bees live and produce honey. The honeybee imagery is almost surely inspired by the fact that Beyonce's fan club and most dedicated followers refer to themselves as the beehive. The origins of the beehide name seem to have started with Jay-Z and Beyonce's two 2002 collab track, O3 Bonnie and Clyde. Here, Jay refers to Beyonce as B. Due to her individual success and marriage to a hip-hop king, Beyonce eventually came to be known as Queen Bee. In biology, a queen bee is the center of life in the hive,

as she gives birth to all the bees in the hive. Like a queen bee, Beyonce's use of the word mama in her repeated phrase, mama say, suggests that Beyonce is a kind of spiritual mother to numerous men, women, and children whose lives have been influenced by her artistry. Beyonce's identity as queen also leads to the following line. Here I come on my throne, sitting high. Follow my parade, oh, my parade. Beyonce's description of herself approaching an audience while sitting on a mobile throne creates the impression that she's on top of a lavishly decorated float at the tail end of a Juneteenth parade. In the same way that all the worker bees follow the queen bee, Beyonce is calling on her people to join the parade

by following her lead. This isn't just a song. It's a movement. The chorus continues as Beyonce sings, nip that lip like lipo. Here she seems to threaten those who attempt to talk slick or be disrespectful toward her people, likely due to a pre-existing racial or gender bias. She threatens to nip that lip like lipo, a play on cosmetic surgery, and the nip-and-tuck procedure. It appears that slick-talking haters will be stung and end up with a fat lip large enough to require surgery from all the swelling. This leads us directly into the next line. You hear them swarming, right?

Bees is known to bite. Beyonce here reminds us that honeybees have stingers that they use to attack whenever they're threatened. Specifically, worker honeybees are fiercely protective of the queen bee and are quick to sting anyone who poses a threat. Likewise, members of Beyonce's beehive are fiercely protective of her reputation and have been known to use social media to quickly attack anyone who publicly disrespects their queen. While Beyonce receives unparalleled protection and honor from the beehive, she also bestows honor on our followers. She sings,

Now here we come on our thrones, sitting high, follow my parade. Earlier in the chorus, Beyonce said, here I come in my throne. Now she switched the we to ours. This switch seems to imply that black individuals who follow Beyonce and take part in her black parade will recover their identity as African kings and queens. And as the second verse we'll explore, Beyonce's focus on lifting up her community reveals that she measures her own success by how many people are successful around her.

More on that, right after the break. Welcome back to dissect. Before the break, we heard Beyonce celebrate her African roots and call on her community to join in her black parade. This celebration of all-black everything continues into the song's second verse. The second verse, the second verse, The second verse of Black Parade begins with Beyonce coupling Black cars and the Black people that own them.

She wraps, I'm for us, All Black, All-Clack, Black-owned, Black Tense, Matt Black. This black-owned, all-black car seems to serve as a symbol for a unified, vibrant, and economically successful black community that's moving forward in the modern world. This idea that ownership of luxury cars holds large significance for black culture is something that Jay-Z famously declared on his state. 2001 track, Izzo. I do this for my culture to let them know what a nigger look like when a nigger in a roaster. On Izzo, Jay-Z explained his motivation for driving a roadster sports car when he rapped, I do this from our culture to let him know what a nigger looks like when a nigger in a roadster. This motivation of breaking through the limits and stereotypes that have been placed on black

people seems to be echoed here in Black Parade as Beyonce raps. roll by, my window down, let him see who in it, crack a big smile, go figure, me and Jigga, 50-11 children, they like, chick how. Jigga here is of course one of J-Z's many nicknames. Beyoncé then describes a scene in which her family's all-black car drives past some unnamed onlookers. Beyonce intentionally leaves her black-tinted windows rolled down so the on-lookers can see Beyonce, J-Z and their three kids sitting in the car. After seeing a successful black woman with money, a husband's

with multiple kids, the onlookers are so shocked that they apparently lost their ability to count. So they have the impression that Beyonce has 51 children. Fifteen-leven is a southern slang term that refers to a number too large to be accurately counted. The onlookers are puzzled by her excellence, as implied by the line, they like, chick how. We again hear Beyonce discussing the thoughts and actions of an unnamed they that we thought referred to white supremacists who were big mad at the success of black people. It's then extremely clever the way Beyonce says the line, crack a big smile, as cracka sounds like the word cracker, which is a derogatory term used by African Americans to refer to any bigoted white person. And so when the unnamed they watched Beyonce crack a big smile from the inside of her all-black car, their response is laced with the envious energy of white supremacists who are mad that a successful black woman is moving past them.

Beyonce sings, I charge my crystals in a full moon. Here she seems to be referring to the use of healing crystals as a form of alternative medicine. Practitioners and numerous cultures have placed different types of crystals near their patients to promote wellness in the body and mind. These practices persisted until the rise of evidence-based medicine in the modern West led to a significant decline in usage. However, in years leading up to the release of Black as King, healing crystals have become a major trend with millennial women, including many African-American women.

This trend was largely popularized by practitioners of New Age spirituality, who advocated for the use of crystals alongside their spiritual practices, such as meditation and burning incense, which Beyonce of course cited earlier. New Age practitioners will typically own many different types of crystals, each of which is meant to have a specific set of effects on a person's body, mind, or environment. These effects are attributed to the belief that crystals, store positive or negative spiritual energy. Crystals can then transfer that energy to anyone who wears the crystals or places the crystals

in the same room. In order to ensure that all negative energy is removed from the crystals and replaced with positive energy, practitioners will charge their crystals by placing them in direct moonlight during a full moon. As we noted during our analysis of the moon motif throughout episode 4, the connection between moon and menstruation cycles is one of the reasons why New Age spirituality teaches that the moon is a primary source of divine feminine energy. Specific types of crystals are also said to transfer the spiritual energy of particular female deities or goddesses. For instance, Citrin is said to transfer

the energy of Oshun, whose energy Beyoncé claimed to possess in the first verse. This connection between crystals and Oshun sets up a subsequent line, baby sister reping Yamaya. Beyonce's use of baby sister here refers to salongnals, while Yamaya is a name derived from the Yoraba name Yamoja. As we've discussed throughout this series, Yamoja is the Orisha of oceans and motherhood that Beyonce seemed to embody when in various scenes throughout Black as King, most notably in the opening sequence of Bigger. In place of the name Yamoja, the name Yamaya is primarily used within the Santeria tradition of Cuba. As we noted during our discussion of Bigger, Santeria is one of a handful of diaspora spiritual traditions that developed when enslaved descendants of the Yoruba people synchronized the Ifah tradition with Roman Catholicism.

Along with this synchronization came new practices and associations, including the association of Yamaya with ocean tides and the energy of the moon. As a result, healing crystal practitioners in New Age spirituality have taught that pearls and cowrie shells are able to transmit Yamaya's energy. And so this line about Salange representing for Yamaya, the earlier lines about Beyonce's Ocean Energy, and the practice of charging crystals by the full moon, they all seem connected. Together, they work to reveal how Beyonce and an increasing number of her African-American sisters are seeking to empower themselves by adopting modern forms of ancient spirituality, particularly spirituality derived from African traditions like Ifah. In Lemonade, Beyonce's initiation into Ombudsmane's initiation into

Osun gave her the power to fight back against the influence of toxic masculinity on tracks like hold up and don't hurt yourself. Meanwhile, here in Black Parade, the invocation of Osun and Yamaya also leads Beyonce to fight back. As she next sings, you could send them missiles. I'ma send my goons. This line suggests that Beyonce is ready to send hired thugs, also known as goons, to neutralize an enemy who's threatened to fire missiles. Though Beyonce doesn't explicitly name this enemy, given that Black Parade was released in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent protests, it's likely this line about sending missiles is a reference to the militarization of American police. This interpretation becomes more convincing as the second verse continues.

Beyonce raps, trust me, they're going to need an army, rubber bullets bouncing off me. Beyonce again uses the third person pronoun they to refer to white supremacist. who do not want black people to succeed. Beyoncé seems to be boasting that the forces of power that fire missiles and uphold white supremacy will need a full-fledged army to stop them. The rubber bullets Beyoncé's sights are very likely referring to the kinds of weapons police forces used when fighting protesters, an idea that seems confirmed in the next lines, made a picket sign off your picket fence, take it as a warning.

Picket fences have been popular in America for centuries, but in the latter half of the 20th century, the image of a white picket fence became a symbol for the peace and affluence afforded to residents of suburban neighborhoods. By taking her protest to suburban streets and making a picket sign out of someone's picket fence, Beyonce seems to be warning the predominantly white residents of suburban America, that they'll no longer be able to use the injustice of American institutions to shield them from the suffering inflicted upon black people. Beyonce's display of power is meant to force white America to recognize the strength and ingenuity that has always been exemplified by Beyonce's African ancestors.

Beyonce begins to highlight unique elements of black culture as she wraps, waist beads from Yoraba, 400Bili, Matsamusa. Waste beads refer to various styles of beaded jewelry that women wear around their waist in several West African cultures. These beads are most noticeable when women wear them to attract a love interest or accentuate the movement of their hips when dancing. Waste beads are also a symbol of femininity and have deep cultural significance throughout Africa. Many women who practice forms of African spirituality will add various charms to their waistbeeds to promote health and fertility. And in certain parts of Ghana, a girl is given her first set of waistbeats after her first menstruation, part of a coming-of-age ceremony to mark her transition into womanhood. While wastebeeds are now common across Africa, many historians believe

they originated among the Yoruba people of West Africa. This historical origin might explain why Beyoncé specified that her waist beads are from Yoruba. Beyonce may also be acknowledging the fact that Yoruba culture is one of the most influential African cultures on the continent and in the diaspora. Many of the featured artists on Black is King are of Yoruba heritage, including Burnaboy, Mr. Easy, Yemi Alade, WizKid, and Tiwa Savage. And as we've explored throughout our analysis of Black Parade, Yorba culture gave rise to the Ifah spiritual tradition, which in turn provided the foundation

for several new spiritual traditions including voodoo, candomble, shango, and Sancho. The widespread practice of the Ifah tradition throughout the African diaspora also provides evidence that Yoraba people were among the most affected by the transatlantic slave trade. A 2015 Oxford University study found that the majority of African Americans have ancestry that's most similar to the current-day Yoruba people in West Africa. This similarity confirms that most African slaves came from the region surrounding Yorba land. And so for a significant percentage of African Americans, connecting with Yorba culture is one of the most tangible ways to reconnect with their ancestral heritage. Beyoncé then goes on to highlight the historical success of African leaders with the line 400 Billy Mansa Musa.

Here we should recall Mood Forever, where Jay-Z claimed that his status as one of only 13 black billionaires meant that he was Mansa-Musa reincarnated. In our analysis of this line, we detailed how Mansa Musa was the 14th century king of the Mali Empire, who managed to control 80% of the world's gold on his way to making Mali the most powerful empire in Africa. The phrase 400 billion billion here in Black Parade highlights the fact that historians estimate Mansa Musa's wealth to have been the equivalent of $400 billion today, which would make Mansa the richest person who had ever lived. Despite this astounding accomplishment, most American school curricula fail to mention Mansa Moussa or the Mali Empire. Omissions like this leave many Americans with the impression that African societies were

uncivilized and underdeveloped before European colonization. Musa's erasure from history thus serves as an example of how Eurocentric Western culture implicitly holds up white supremacy by refusing to acknowledge black excellence. However, if more and more people hear the stories of historic black figures like Mansamusa, the world can begin to recognize the inherent value that resides inside of each black Black individual. Beyonce made this exact point in the Instagram post that announced Black is king. Quote,

I believe that when black people tell our own stories, we can shift the access of the world and tell our real history of generational wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books, unquote. Beyonce's focus on the cultural wealth of black people on the African continent then shifts to the cultural wealth of black people in the diaspora. She wraps, stroll line to the barbecue, put us any damn where, we gonna make it look cute. Here, strolling refers to a style of synchronized dancing

performed by a group moving in a single file line through a party or community gathering, such as a Juneteenth barbecue. The term strolling is also used when describing the distinctive line dances performed by the nine historically black Greek letter fraternities and sororities. These iconic black fraternities and sororities

were founded in the early 1900s, when segregation and racism prohibited most African Americans from attending integrated universities or joining predominantly white fraternities and sororities. In response, African Americans use black fraternities and sororities as a place to encourage black excellence and transmit their own distinctive cultural traditions. Strolling was one such tradition that each organization adapted from group dances that can be traced back to various African cultures. The elegance, power, and unity exemplified by stroll lines is a perfect illustration of how

Africans and African Americans have always created beauty, even when white society has been ugly toward black people. This unquenchable ability to create beautiful expressions of black culture in the face of oppression is also something Beyonce highlighted during the credits of Black is King. Quote, special thanks to the Black diaspora across every continent. Thank you. For creating, upholding, and driving culture against insurmountable odds. You inspire the world. unquote. This special thanks to the entire Black diaspora again reveals how Beyonce serves as a symbol of something that is so much bigger than herself. This symbolism is exemplified by the artistic visuals and universal message contained in Black as King. The elegance and beauty that we witness as Beyonce and her cast where unique pieces of fashion while traveling to scenic locations all over the world provides us visual proof to the line.

put us any damn where we gonna make it look cute. After asserting that black people can make anything look cute, Beyonce rap's pandemic fly on the runway in my hazmat. Here it's important to recall that black parade was released in the midst of the global coronavirus pandemic. So rather than wearing the latest designer on the runway, Beyonce depicts herself wearing a protective full-body hazmat suit when traveling by airplane. There's clever wordplay in the line as fly is also slang for stylish, and runway could also refer to a fashion runway.

And so, Pandemic Fly on the Runway in my hazmat is a double entendre that refers both to a woman walking through an airport and walking through a fashion show. This entendre is confirmed when we realize that the line is also referencing Black British supermodel, Naomi Campbell, who you'll recall was cited by name and appeared in the video for Brown Skin Girl. Early into the pandemic, a photo of Naomi wearing a full-body hazmat suit in an airport went viral. It was a testament to Beyonce's previous line that you can put a black woman anywhere under any circumstances and they'll still look fly. Beyonce then continues, children running through the house to my art, all black. At first, running through my house to my art, makes it seem like they are running or dancing around to Beyonce's music, her art. But the subsequent phrase, all black, which is followed by the line, Ancestors on the wall, let the ghost chit-chat. Makes clear she's also talking about the paintings on her walls

done by black artists and or depicting black people. The abundance of black art in the house seems to be another nod to Beyonce's mother, Tina Noles Lawson, who curated the selection of black artwork that we saw throughout the Beverly House mansion during Mood Forever. As noted during our discussion of that song, Miss Tina has been an avid collector of black artwork even before Beyonce and Solange were born. When asked to explain the influence that Miss Tina's art collection had on her own development, Beyonce wrote, quote, I think it was important to my mother to surround us with positive, powerful, strong images of African and African American art so that we could reflect and see ourselves in them, unquote. By advancing black representation in the art that she owns,

as well as the art that she makes, Beyonce seems to be carrying on the legacy left by her mother and all the black artists who came before her. This legacy of inspiring black figures depicted in art is further emphasized with the line, Ancestors on the wall let the ghost chit-chat. Beyoncé highlights that several of her art pieces depict one or more of her ancestors and that these art pieces are able to speak directly to Beyonce and her children.

In earlier forms of English, the word ghost was essentially equivalent to the modern day use of the word spirit. Beyonce seems to have combined her devotion to her African ancestors with an ancient understanding that artistic images can serve as a wind into the spiritual realm, just as we saw throughout Black as King.

Beyonce continues to explore her connection to African culture and spirituality as she says, Hold my hands, we going to pray together, lay down, face down in the gravel. Given that this reference to prayer follows the statement about the ghosts of her ancestors communicating through artwork, it seems that Beyonce is now depicting herself holding hands with her children as they pray to their ancestors for guidance. The use of we also seems to be an invitation for all black people to join her in honoring their African ancestors. The line, lay down, face down in the gravel, seems to refer to postrating. Postrating in front of sacred images or objects continues to be a practice of several Eastern spiritual traditions, including

Orthodox Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Prior to the political and cultural revolutions of the 20th century, traditional Chinese culture observed a practice called kowtow, which required individuals to postrate in front of their elders, superiors, and the emperor. While prostrating has fallen out of favor in most modern cultures, the Yoruba culture of West Africa remains to be one of the few cultures in the world in which a form of prostration known as Ido Balet continues to be the expected way for men to greet elders and kings. Bionte's reference to Yoruba cultural practices leads to the line wear an all-attire white to the funeral, which highlights a contrast with the standard practice of wearing black to funerals in Western culture. Here we should recall the song Nile, where

Mufasa's funeral procession took place in an all-white room with an all-white casket, as Beyonce and the pallbearers wore all-white clothes and body paint. As we noted then, practitioners of EFA spirituality typically wear white to funerals just like they do to birth and initiation ceremonies. In all these cases, the color white symbolizes life, renewal, and connection to the spiritual realm. And so by depicting her family praying, prostrating in front of artistic images of their ancestors, and wearing white clothes at a funeral, Beyonce yet again seems to be revealing how she's adopted various spiritual and cultural practice of the Yoruba people. All of these practices encourage individuals to connect to their deceased ancestors in a similar

way to those who are still alive. These practices work in tandem to convey the idea that death is not able to separate loved ones from one another. This idea about the unending connection forged by love leads to the subsequent line, Black Love, we gonna stay together. Black love here is a catchphrase commonly used within the African American community to celebrate marriage and committed relationships between black individuals. This is a meaningful act for black people living in America, since most American movies, TV shows, and media tend to focus on white protagonists

while neglecting to provide positive depictions of black couples and women. families. As a result, some Black Americans may begin to devalue members of their own race and become convinced that white individuals are more desirable partners to date and marry. Not only was Simba and Nala's black love and marriage pivotal to the plot of Black is King, Beyonce's previous album Lemonade largely focused on exposing these exact trends related to Black love and the oppression of white supremacist culture. As one of Lemonade's directors explained in an interview, quote, Biontie wanted to show the historical impact of slavery on black love and what it is done to the black family. Moreover, one of the most memorable lines of lemonade occurred when Beyonce said that her cheating husband, quote,

better call Becky with the good hair, referring to a stereotypical white woman who fits the Eurocentric standard of beauty. Now that Beyonce and her husband are postrating in front of an artistic image of their black ancestors, those destructive patterns of self-hatred are being replaced with a love and devotion to each other, and to all the black couples from whom they are descended. Beyonce continues to highlight the artists and leaders that came before her as she raps Curtis Mayfield on the speaker, little Malcolm Martin mixed with Mama Tina. Curtis Mayfield was a sole music artist who rose to fame during the civil rights movement. Mayfield is largely credited for introducing social consciousness

into African-American music. His music inspired Black Pride and encouraged civil rights activists to persevere in the face of violence and oppression. Mayfield's 1964 track, Keep on Pushing, with his group The Impressions, became the unofficial anthem of the Freedom Writers who rode interstate buses into the south

to challenge segregation. Curtis Mayfield's legacy of pushing the civil rights movement forward is clearly something that has inspired Beyoncé to push the Black Lives Matter movement forward in her own day. She continues, little Malcolm, Martin, mixed with Momitina. Corrissus is a reference to Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.,

two preeminent leaders representing two seemingly divergent approaches to creating change in America. Martin Luther King Jr. consistently advocated nonviolent protest, while Malcolm X claimed that it was immoral and unjust to tell the oppressed to practice nonviolence against their oppressors. Despite these opposing viewpoints, Beyonce is not the first black leader to mix influences of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. Here's President Obama speaking about these two leaders when he was asked to reflect on his experience of dealing with white Americans. And so I'm coming of age at a time where you've got the strength and defiance of a Malcolm or an Ali.

And you've also got the soulfulness and the moral strength of a king. You're saying to yourself, I can draw from both of those traditions. And there may be times where it is right to be. angry and defiant. And it may be times where you've got to give the country and white people the benefit of the debt. Like Obama, Beyonce clearly cherishes Martin Luther King's moral strength. But given that Black Parade was released after the murders of Amad Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, Black Parade speaks from a time in which many black leaders feel its right to express Malcolm's anger and defiance toward the unjust systems of white America. After acknowledging

male leaders like Martin and Malcolm, Beyonce goes on to acknowledge the female leaders who have inspired her, starting with her mother, Miss Tina Knows Lawson. We've already detailed several of the subtle references to Miss Tina's influence on Black Parade, including how Miss Tina provide fiancée with roots in the South, a house visit in Galveston, Texas, and a lifelong exposure to black art. These implicit references have now become an explicit shoutout. Beyonce then highlights the efforts of other female social activists as she wraps, Need another march, let me call Tamika, referring to a black woman named Tamika Mallory. Mallory was one of the leading organizers of the Women's March, which was organized largely

in response to the policies, rhetoric, and behavior of Donald Trump. The first march took place on January 21st, 2017, just a day after Donald Trump was inaugurated as president. After the 2017 March, Tamika would go on to help organize the 2019 Women's March, while also serving as an advocate for the Black Lives Matter movement, increased gun control, and ending mass incarceration. Beyonce goes on to join Tamika in making specific demands as she wraps, need peace and reparations for my people.

Within the context of America, the term reparations almost exclusively refers to the monetary compensation that many African Americans have felt as rightfully owed to them as victims of the generational injustices caused by slavery. The first proposal of reparations came in 1865, before the end of the Civil War. General William Sherman gave orders to allot 40 acres and a mule to formerly enslaved Africans. However, the U.S. government ultimately refused to provide these reparations after President Lincoln's successor, Andrew Johnson, annulled General Sherman's orders.

Over the years, many approaches to reparations have been proposed by various organizations, but each proposal was eventually dismissed by the leaders of the mainstream political parties. However, in 2019, U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee introduced Congressional Bill H.R. 40, which would establish a commission to study and develop reparation proposals for African Americans. Although a version of bill H.R. 40 had been introduced to Congress every year for exactly 30 years, it was not until June 10, 2019, that the House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on reparations based on Representative Jackson Lee's bill. Within a matter of months, every major candidate for the Democratic presidential, nomination, voice support for Bill H.R. 40. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee is a black woman who

represents Beyonce's hometown of Houston, Texas. Beyonce has actually worked directly with Jackson Lee for years. Most recently, in May of 2020, Ms. Tina Noles Lawson and Beyonce's philanthropic organization, Be Good, partnered with Representative Jackson Lee to provide mobile coronavirus testing for underserved communities in Houston. Representative Jackson Lee even gave a speech that credited Miss Tina as the visionary of Houston's mobile testing. Tina Nose Lawson who envisioned the idea to say, why can't everybody be tested? How do we get them tested?

Well, can I pronounce to Mrs. Nose-Lawson, your vision is being implemented. It's working. A month later, on the same day that Beyonce released Black Parade, Representative Jackson Lee simultaneously announced that she has introduced Bill H.R. 7232, which would recognize June 10th as a federal holiday. This long-standing partnership between Beyonce and Representative Jackson Lee

illustrates that when Beyonce says, I need peace and reparations for my people. She's not just saying empty words. Beyonce is already actively working to achieve these demands and is now calling on her fans and followers to vote for politicians who will turn these bills into laws. Beyonce continues the verse, Fuck these laid edges. I'ma let it shrivel up. Fuck this fade and waves.

I'ma let it dread all up. Here, laid edges refers to a black hairstyle in which women with longer hair use gel to slick down their baby hairs into curved patterns that lay down flat along their forehead. While laid edges have provided black women with a creative outlet for their hair,

their popularity has led some black women to suggest that black hair is unkempt if a woman's edges aren't laid. Beyonce and her daughter Blue Ivy have personally faced this kind of hair shaming. Most notably, in 2014, online criticism of two-year-old Blue Ivy's natural hair led one person to start a change.org petition that called for Beyonce to take better care of her baby girl's hair. Beyonce responded to this criticism directly on formation. Beyonce boldly declared her preference for natural afros, natural baby hair, and any hairstyle that refuses to conform to the idea that black hair must be ultimate. in order to be acceptable.

Here in Black Parade, Beyonce makes her feelings about baby hair even more explicit by saying, fuck these late edges, I'm gonna let it shrivel up. Shriveling up refers to the way natural afro-textured hair tends to shrink up after it absorbs water.

Even though shrinkage is a sign that afro-textured hair is healthy, many black women use different techniques to prevent their hair from shriveling up so that their hair looks longer. By boldly embracing shriveled hair, Beyonce is once again, emphatically dismissing anyone who suggests that black hair must be altered in order to be acceptable.

This wholehearted embrace of natural hair is continued in the following line. Fuck this fade and waves, I'm going to let it dread all up. Here, a fade and wave both referred to a combination of what may be the two most common hair styles worn by young black men. Both styles require alteration, be it through barber clippers and brushes, hair products, and a wave cap. Even though a fade with waves is a very popular black hairstyle, Beyonce seems to be reminding black men that they don't need to alter their hair to be accepted.

She also seems to be pushing back against white Americans who might be uncomfortable around black men who let their hair grow longer. This refusal to conform leads Beyonce to say, I'm a let it dread all up. Given that most black people don't need to alter their hairs to create free-form dreadlocks, this hairstyle can be seen as the ultimate embrace of afro-textured hair. Going from a fade and waves to free-form dreadlocks is actually the exact transition that Beyonce's husband Jay-Z has undergone in the recent years. From the mid-1990s onward, Jay-Z almost exclusively had his hair cut low enough to develop

waves and was often pictured wearing a du rag. Beginning in late 2017, Jay-Z was seen developing free-form dreadlocks, which were on full display during his appearance on mood forever. Given these real-life experiences of Beyonce's husband and daughter, we could see that for Beyonce, embracing natural hair is personal as much as it is social and political. Beyonce's bold declarations about shriveled and dreaded hair reveal how Beyonce loves her family members for exactly who they are

and resists anyone who devalues them because of their African features. This combination of love and resistance, thus leads to the following line, put your fist up in the air, show black love. We've already explored the significance of black love within Beyonce's art and activism. During Keys to the Kingdom, we discussed how Simba and Nahl's wedding in a church decorated with symbolic indebellum murals illustrated how black love is itself a form of resistance. Similarly, here in Black Parade, Beyonce seems to connect the heartwarming display of Black

Love with the more hardened image of Black people putting fist up in the air. For more than a century, putting a fist of has certainly. served as a symbol of solidarity with oppressed people groups who are pushing for societal changes throughout the world. In America, the raised fist became particularly famous during the civil rights era and became the most iconic symbol for black power. Embodying the anger and defiance of Malcolm X, black power was a political slogan and movement whose militant stance against the injustice of white America caused it to split from the mainstream civil rights movement. Leaders of the black power movement argued that black people were justified in using violence

to defend themselves against white oppression. As a result, the Black Power Movement spawned revolutionary groups such as the Black Panther Party, whose members armed themselves with guns as they challenge police brutality in their cities. Yet beyond this militant approach, the ultimate goal of the Black Power Movement was to encourage the development of Black Pride

along with Black political, cultural, and economic institutions that would advance the collective interests of Black Americans. These are the same goals we've heard Beyonce working towards in the lyrics of Black Parade, the Black-owned Everything page, and the Black Parade Route Business Directory. The inspiration of the Black Power Movement can also be traced back to Beyonce's performance of formation at the 2016 Super Bowl halftime show. Beyonce and her backup dancers marched onto the field wearing black leather outfits with

military berets on top of their Afro hairstyles, clearly inspired by the iconic wardrobe of the Black Panther Party. The performance marked 50 years of the Super Bowl. and 50 years since the formation of the Black Panther Party in Oakland, California, just 40 miles north of the Super Bowl Stadium. And if there was any remaining doubt that Beyonce's career was now dedicated to advancing the interests of Black Americans, Beyonce and her backup dancers put their fists up in the air as Beyonce rapped.

You just might be a Black Bill Gates in the making. This powerful statement and gesture suggested that creating economic opportunities and wealth for black people by any means necessary. is Beyonce's greatest expression of love for all those who hail from the Motherland. After the second iteration of the chorus, Black Parade transitions into the following bridge section. Beyonce sings, We got rhythm, we got pride, we birth kings, we birth tribes. These lyrics are offering positive affirmations regarding some of the most essential characteristics of Africans on the continent and in the diaspora.

The first trait that Beyonce highlights is rhythm, which is one of the greatest exports of the African continent. African syncopation and polyrhythms have influenced the formation of countless Western musical genres that still thrive today, including hip-hop, Afrobeats, funk, reggae, rock and roll, ju-ju, and jazz. The prolific success of black music is one of the many reasons that Beyonce takes pride in her black identity, as heard in the line. we got pride. Throughout Black Parade, Beyonce has given numerous examples of black excellence and art, fashion, wealth, and leadership. But the term Black Pride also refers directly to a civil rights era movement that celebrated Black culture and African heritage through slogans like

Black is Beautiful and songs like James Brown's 1968 single, Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm proud. Along with Black Pride, the word Pride is also frequently used in the Lion King. Most notably, Pride Land is the name of the kingdom over which the Lions rule, and Pride Rock is the name of the royal residence of the Lions. This implicit connection between pride and kingdoms then leads to the following line. We birth kings, we birth tribes. This assertion that Black mothers give birth to kings is of course one of the central themes that inspired the name Black is King. These lines about a royal lineage thus remind us of Beyonce's own summary of the meaning of Black is King. Quote, my hope for this film is that it shifts the global perception of the word Black,

which has always meant inspiration and love and strength and beauty to me. Black is King means black is regal and rich in history, in purpose, and in lineage. In addition to drawing attention to the regal character of Black children, the line We Birth Kings highlights the pivotal role that Black women have played in giving life to the lineage of black kings and queens. Through the beautiful bond of black love, these kings and queens created families that grew into numerous ethnic groups that are often referred to as tribes within the African continent. The African continent also seems to be the place that Beyonce has in mind when she says, Holy River, Holy Tong. Within many spiritual

traditions, the word holy is used to describe unique people, places, physical things, or spirits that are considered to be sources of life. Beyonce specifically points out a holy river. According to the Ifah tradition, the holiest river in Yorba land is the Oshun River, which is fittingly named after the Erescia of rivers. Similarly in ancient Egypt, the Nile River was considered to be the holiest river

because the annual flooding of the Nile produced fertile soil. This fertile soil made life possible in an otherwise arid climate and thus gave birth to the Egyptian civilization. Of course, the Nile River plays a critical role in Black as King. It's the first image we see in the film. There's a song called Nile, and the Nile River is the central symbol in the video for Other Side. As you'll recall, it was in Other Side that Beyonce depicted herself as the enslaved Hebrew mother, who saved the life of baby Moses by floating him down the Nile River in a basket. Moses would grow up as a member

of the Egyptian royalty before ultimately leading the Hebrews out of slavery and writing the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. These five books became the basis for Judaism. Judaism and led to the exaltation of the Hebrew language. Specifically, the Jewish tradition began to refer to the Hebrew language as the Holy Tong, where the word tongue is a synonym for the word language. This appears to be the inspiration behind Beyonce's Holy Tong line. This idea that the Hebrew language is a unique source of life is derived from the first chapter of the Hebrew Bible. It's there that God creates the heavens and the earth by speaking Hebrew words. Outside of Judaism, the Hebrew Bible would later influence the development of several

other religions, particularly Christianity and Islam. These two world religions are the ones that have largely displaced traditional African religions. Thus by saying the words, holy tongue to African people, Beyonce seems to be asserting that African languages and African spirituality are just as unique and life-giving as the languages and spirituality of more dominant cultures from the Middle East and Europe. Finally, Beyonce concludes this bridge section by saying, Speak the glory, feel the love. Historically, the word glory has been used to describe the honor and significance attributed to kings

who conquered nations, built cities, and amassed large amounts of wealth. Within the holy tongue of the Hebrew Bible, glory is predominantly spoken of as the essential attribute of the God of Israel, whose greatest accomplishment is creating everything that is visible in the universe. Because glory was something that belonged to God, the kings of Israel recognized that they would not gain glory by conquering other nations. Rather, the greatest kings in Israel understood that glory was something that God bestowed upon all of his people. For instance, Israel's greatest king, David, wrote a Psalm which said, quote, What are humans that you think of them, the sons and daughters of humans that you care for them?

You have made them a little lower than the heavenly beings, and you crown them with glory and majesty. You make them rule over the works of your hands. You have put all things under their feet. This Psalm asserts that God is the one who gives glory to humans by crowning their sons and daughters as the kings and queens who rule over God's creation. King David also asserted that God shows his care for humanity by lifting them up to the realm of the heavenly beings.

This belief in the exaltation of humans to the heavens is one of the main reasons that the anointed king who descended from David was referred to as the Son of God. As we've previously discussed, ancient forms of African spirituality share this belief that human ancestors can be exalted into the heavenly realm alongside the God who created the universe. More importantly, the exaltation of African ancestors implies that black people are the sons and daughters of God, and thus are meant to rule as kings and queens who manifest God's glory. This very idea is something Black is King's co-director, Quasi Forjor, highlighted in our

conversation with him. Black is king simply represents this idea that we are all royalty because we are a child of God. As a culture, everyone around us tries to place boundaries on us, but then we also place boundaries on ourselves. And sometimes it takes us being able to look beyond, you know, Beyonce was adamant about really going beyond the earth, to really be able to look at the stars and really kind of mingle with your ancestors there and allow them to meet you where you are. As we approach the end of Black Parade, we should remember the dedication message seen at the conclusion of Black as King as the song began to play. Quote, dedicated to my son, Sir Carter, and to all our sons and daughters, the sun and the moon bow for you. You are the keys to the

kingdom. By using Our Here, Beyonce affirms the belief that Black Sunsons and daughters have royal authority that is recognized even by the sun, the moon, and the stars in the heavens. At the same time, we understand that while Beyonce dedicated Black is king to her son, Sir Carter, this is not the first work to be dedicated to one of Beyonce's children. Back in 2012, after Beyonce first gave birth to Blue Ivy, Jay-Z released a track in her honor titled Glory. On real, baby I paint the sky blue. My greatest creation was you. You.

Glory. On glory, Jay-Z's proclamation that his daughter is his greatest creation is itself an assertion that black children are the most valuable treasure from the motherland. Treasure that can't be traded for pearls or watches dripping in diamonds. By repeatedly ascribing glory to his newborn child, Jay-Z is asserting that even before, they accomplish anything, black children possess God-given honor and significance. This conclusion directly addresses the very opening lines of Black as King. Let Black be synonymous with glory. If you feel insignificant, you better think again, better wake up because you're part of something

way bigger. You're part of something way bigger. These connections show that it's the responsibility of black mothers and fathers to speak the glory and remind black sons and daughters of the majesty that has been bestowed upon them by God. The association of children with glory also serves to uplift the black women who have given birth to the crown jewels of Africa. This recognition of black women and the creative potential of black love leads to Beyonce's final encouragement to feel the love. Within the context of Black is King, the phrase, Feel the Love is most likely a reference to the Lion King song, Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

The film version of Can You Feel the Love Tonight features a duet between Simba and Nala, who is voiced by Beyonce. Nala's verse is especially relevant since her words reveal how love enables her to look past Simba's defenses and see Simba's true identity as Kna. king. Simba's pattern of

his family to conceal his pain, and Nala's pattern of helping Simba live up to his identity directly mirrors the central conflict of Lemonade. As we discussed at length in our full 13 episode season on Lemonade, J. Z distanced himself from his family to conceal the pain and feelings of unworthiness. Feelings we ultimately trace back to the historical legacy of slavery and racism. Like Nala, it was Beyonce who pushed J. Z to recognize that his past does not disqualify him from being the love of her life. Why do you consider yourself undeserving?

Why are you afraid of love? You think it's not possible for some. someone like you, but you are the love of my life. The love of my life. This spoken word piece in Lemonade revealed how Jay-Z and Beyonce could only move forward together after Jay-Z allowed himself to feel the love that Beyonce had for him. Love proved to be the only force strong enough to break the generational curse that has plagued black families.

And as one anonymous mother would later declare on Lemonade, love is the only way to lead the next generation into the future. So how are we supposed to lead our children to the future? What do we do? How do we lead them? Love. L-O-V-E love. Hallelujah, thank you.

Lemonade's ultimate goal of encouraging black mothers to lead their children with love is also shared here in Black Parade and in Black as King more generally. Like Lemonade, Black as King suggests that for Black children to realize their future and potential, they have to know their history and find their way back to the motherland, both physically and spiritually, in thought and in practice. We're reminded of Beyonce's intentions with Black as King. The very words we began the series with, quote,

I only hope that from watching you leave feeling inspired to continue building a legacy that impacts the world in an immeasurable way. I pray that everyone sees the beauty and resilience of our people. This is a story of how the people left most broken, have extraordinary gifts. My only goal is that you watch it with your family and that it gives you pride. For those who follow the way of life

that Beyonce exemplifies in Black is King, the Motherland will continue to be the ultimate source of life-giving energy, just like a holy river making its way through the driest deserts of Africa. This special miniseries on Blackest King was written by Femi Olu-Tade, Maggie Lacey, Titi Show Dia, and me.

The series was produced by Me with Spotify Studios. Audio editing by Eric Bass. Theme music by Bureaucratic. Song Recreations by Andrew Atwood. Research by Gail Acosta. A special thank you to Parkwood Entertainment for their support on this project. And an extra special thank you to Quasi Forger,

Zarina Akers, and Derek Dixie for the original interviews. We'll be posting a special bonus episode that features all of these interviews in full. If you enjoyed this series on Black as King, be sure to check out our full 14-episode season on Beyonce's visual album Lemonade. We also have some very limited Dysect merch we created to commemorate this series. You can check that out while supplies last on our website, Dysectpodcast.com. Okay, thanks everyone for listening. If you want to hear more from Titi, definitely subscribe to our main podcast, Dope Labs,

which takes a scientific look at pop culture. Dysect will be back with a full season soon, so be sure to follow us on social media at Dice. podcasts for updates and clues on who's next. Talk to you soon.