Until there is a mosaic of perspectives coming from different ethnicities behind the lens, we will continue to have a narrow approach and view of what the world actually looks like.
When Beyonce’ speaks the world listens. Vogue Magazine just released their September issue featuring Beyonce. Beyonce is the first Black women ever to be given full control of her cover shoot for the magazine publication. The 36-year-old Icon used the opportunity to give 23-year-old Tyler Mitchell who is now the first African American to photograph a cover feature for Vogue.
Beyonce’s spread included breathtaking shots of the superstar in her natural state. Little to no makeup, her natural hair, wearing a bountiful floral arrangement as her headpiece. The caption for her cover featured the words “Every Voice Counts” Beyonce’ “In her own words”.
Beyonce did not grant an interview for the issue instead she narrated an essay that tells the story of her second pregnancy in “her own words,” revealing a traumatic ordeal that she previously hadn’t shared with the public, including an emergency C-section and her body’s changes post-pregnancy.
“I was 218 pounds the day I gave birth to Rumi and Sir,” she wrote. I was swollen from toxemia and had been on bed rest for over a month. My health and my babies’ health were in danger, so I had an emergency C-section. We spent many weeks in the NICU.”
In her own words, Beyonce gave us a peek into her world by sharing her experiences of being a mother and how she wants to raise her children.
As the mother of two girls, it’s important to me that they see themselves too—in books, films, and on runways. It’s important to me that they see themselves as CEOs, as bosses, and that they know they can write the script for their own lives—that they can speak their minds and they have no ceiling. They don’t have to be a certain type or fit into a specific category. They don’t have to be politically correct, as long as they’re authentic, respectful, compassionate, and empathetic. They can explore any religion, fall in love with any race, and love who they want to love.
I want the same things for my son. I want him to know that he can be strong and brave but that he can also be sensitive and kind. I want my son to have a high emotional IQ where he is free to be caring, truthful, and honest. It’s everything a woman wants in a man, and yet we don’t teach it to our boys.
I hope to teach my son not to fall victim to what the internet says he should be or how he should love. I want to create better representations for him so he is allowed to reach his full potential as a man, and to teach him that the real magic he possesses in the world is the power to affirm his own existence.
The Texas native also addressed her views on the inclusion of all ethnicities in the world of art, and how important it is for her to open doors.
It’s important to me that I help open doors for younger artists. There are so many cultural and societal barriers to entry that I like to do what I can to level the playing field, to present a different point of view for people who may feel like their voices don’t matter.
Beyonce is currently completing the American leg of her OTRII tour partnered with her husband Jay Z. The two have been touring since June grossing million all while sharing the message of Love. Check out Beyonce’s full essay on Vogue.com
