Analysis Of Beyoncé's Video 'Formation'

Many individuals belittle the Black community; in effect, remains discrimination present in society. Beyoncé illustrates a phenomenal issue of racial injustice toward African Americans that society faces. We are constantly seeing black individuals being taken their rights and discouraging such individuals from succeeding. As a result of these racial injustice events, many movements have been created such as “Black Lives Matter”. Living in a society that lacks equality, Beyoncé's video "Formation", reflects a long history of her culture by integrating the most historical scenes from her hometown yet, also the suffrage of inequality that the black community faces due to injustice. She introduces how African Americans can rise from poverty even
Empowering imagery by integrating events of her Southern heritage; such as, presenting her family’s roots, Katrina New Orleans, beauty shops, and most essentially she on top of a police vehicle that was sinking into a flood. These vivid events correlate to the meaning behind her lyrics in “Formation”. She sets expressive examples of how her music video went further more than representation but rather towards activism. Beyoncé targeted in aiming to amplify the message of a movement called “Black Lives Matter”. Furthermore, there has been a crucial part in America where African American folks are being faced with substantial amount of inequality. The events that were targeted took place with police brutality and injustice. This movement grew stronger after the death of two African Americans who were unarmed and killed by law enforcement. In Beyoncé’s Formation video, it is clearly shown based on the graffiti that was written on the wall stating, “Stop shooting us”. In addition, following along with a young boy dancing wearing all black, while police watching. After the young boy stops dancing, instead of the “victim” putting his hands up—law enforcement begins to surrender and begin putting their arms in the air. These both representations, parallels upon the concept of African Americans and their search for the justice that was taken away from the two deaths that
Since then, there has been a great amount of debate about law enforcement not being fair to those of color. Granted, since based the title of the movement, it initially only targets black individuals. By this, it is rather ideal for those of other race to discourage the movement “Black Lives Matter”. Jason Riley from “Black Lives Matter’—but Reality, Not So Much,” states, “Once you realize that this movement is not about the fate of blacks per se but about scapegoating the police in particular, and white America in general, for antisocial ghetto behavior. It's about holding whites to a higher standard than the young black men in these neighborhoods hold each other to” (Wall Street Journal). In addition, there has been evidence in how the Black community and also a long history of the African-American being stereotypes that is attached to their identity. Those who disagree with BLM are not able to make the correlation between their history of segregation and the tragedy they are still currently facing being mistreated by police. Tying back with Beyoncé’s video “Formation,” she gave the audience a visual representation of events that tie in with her views of inequality of her African-American