1. Courtney Webb
JOUR 205
Laura Moorhead
03/18/2016
Beyoncé, Black Pride and Super Bowl 50
African Americans in the United States have experienced a long history of
discrimination, racism and exclusion (Karenga, 2010). Many groups who are
discriminated against in society find that speaking out against social injustice in the form
of protest helps bring attention to the racial issues. The Black Lives Matter movement has
found a platform in today’s society to unite minority groups and other supporters to speak
out about oppression of all kinds. Beyoncé is a famous African American singer and
advocate for eliminating oppression and violence against people of color. Beyoncé
sparked controversy throughout the country when she performed a dance routine and
song that challenged oppression and police brutality at Super Bowl 50.
Lippmann, the author of “ The World Outside and the Pictures in our Heads,”
believes that we create pictures in our head based on how we analyze things, which is
usually different from reality. Beyoncé organized her performance to honor the death of
Mario Woods, an African American man gunned down by police, to speak against police
brutality. Her performance also displayed Black Panthers party outfits and berets to
signify Black pride, but was viewed as controversial. Many people saw her performance
and the Black Lives Matters message as being anti-white and anti-police but it was in fact
to symbolize black pride and equality. This paper will show that Beyoncé was using her

2. platform to communicate the experiences that people of color in America endure and
how others have viewed them. Although we all live in the same world, that doesn’t mean
that we embody the same realities or experiences. I learned in class lecture that
communication between people in the social environment is important to understand
because we share different realities and is produced in different ways.
Historically, the law and in American society has proven that people of color live
and experience different treatment and opportunities based on race (Karenga, 2010).
Beyoncé used her platform at the Super Bowl to communicate the harsh realities Blacks
face that is not given as much attention as it needs. Carey (1989) argues that reality is
brought into existence and is produced by communication. Many Africans Americans
have experiences that cannot be compared to other racial group because of slavery,
segregation, and being denied education, voting rights and fair treatment. Beyoncé
created, “Formation,” a cultural dance and song to express her feelings of outrage about
the treatment of African Americans in the United States.
Barbara Ellen, author of The Guardian article “ Beyoncé the superstar who
brought Black Power to The Super Bowl,” criticizes the Super bowl as “ All about the
new-style protests against racial discrimination”(Ellen, 2016) Beyoncé addresses many
civil right concerns in her song “Formation” and the video that accompanies the song.
Ellen(2016) also states that many people viewed her performance as aggressive,
encouraging violence towards police and saw her performance as a threat towards
Americans. Authors on CNN also stated that “we don’t want hate speech & racism at the
Super bowl ever again,” and called for a “#BoycottBeyonce” counter protest after her
performance. Both CNN and The Guardian highlight the controversy for both sides of the
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3. argument. Furthermore, France, another CNN author states that “when Black women
affirm Blackness/ Black womanhood, they are attacked and silenced,” which shows the
bias in the media.
Beyoncé song Formation acknowledges the cultural aspect and the appreciation of
Black features in the song by saying “ My daddy Alabama/ Momma Louisiana/ You mix
that Negro with that Creole/ Makes a Texas bamma” and declares, “ I like my baby hair,
with baby hair and Afros/ I like my negro nose with Jackson Five nostrils.” I believe that
these strong lyrics help empower Black women and eliminating self-hatred and the
perception of what is considered beauty. Beyoncé’s performance was viewed as racist by
many non-minority groups because they experience a different reality in American that is
built upon oppression which made them feel uncomfortable to listen to and watch.
Overall, The CNN article aligns well with Carey (1989) because reality is
produced through communication (i.e. Beyoncé was communicating a message in her
performance) and produced through cultural experience (historical oppression against
Blacks). Brittany Stephans, author of a Pop Sugar article, states that “Black people can’t
be racist because racism is tied to oppression and The Black Panther Party of Self
Defense didn’t promote the killing of police officers; it actually worked to protect
endangered communities and end police brutality.”
Many people felt insulted and betrayed by the performance and said many
negative things about Beyoncé. Pop Sugar author Stephens (2016) believes that
Beyoncé’s song and performance inspired people of color to celebrate their hair, their
features, and their uniqueness. Furthermore, Stephens (2016) says Beyoncé exposes
elements of imagery in the video “Formation” such as a wall with graffiti reading “stop
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4. shooting us” is literally a plea to stop shooting people of color, not some hateful attack on
innocent police officers.” The responses that were against Beyoncé have allowed the
media to create the symbolic personality that she is racist and anti-police while others
find her performance empowering and encouraging. One side supported her choice of
incorporating the recognition of past and present historical events in her routine while the
opposing side was more offended by her message. In conclusion, I agree with the side
that supported Beyoncé’s performance because it was solely rooted in embracing black
culture, exposing the way people of color are treated, and speaking against police
brutality. I agree with Carey’s (1989) view of communication as expressing culture and
experiences and support Beyoncé decision to perform at the Super Bowl to raise
awareness and use our cultural experience to enlighten others and their views on critical
race issues.
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5. Work Cited
Carey, James. “A cultural Approach to Communication.” Communication As
Culture: Essays on Media and Society. Boston: Unwin Hyman, 1989.
Ellen, Barbara. “ Beyoncé: The Superstar Who Brought Black Power to the Super Bowl.”
The Guardian. 13 February 2016. Web. 10 March 2016.
France, Lisa Respers. “ Protests Planned Against and for Beyoncé.” CNN. 9 February
2016. Web. 10 March 2016.
Karenga, M. (2010). Introduction to Black Studies. University of Sankore Press.
Lippmann, Walter. “The World Outside And the Pictures in Our heads” Public Opinion,
4(1922), 1-22.
Stephans, Brittany. “ You Can Keep Bashing Beyoncé, but here’s why I’m staying firmly
in Formation.” Pop Sugar. 13 February 2016. Web. 10 March 2016.
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6. Work Cited
Carey, James. “A cultural Approach to Communication.” Communication As
Culture: Essays on Media and Society. Boston: Unwin Hyman, 1989.
Ellen, Barbara. “ Beyoncé: The Superstar Who Brought Black Power to the Super Bowl.”
The Guardian. 13 February 2016. Web. 10 March 2016.
France, Lisa Respers. “ Protests Planned Against and for Beyoncé.” CNN. 9 February
2016. Web. 10 March 2016.
Karenga, M. (2010). Introduction to Black Studies. University of Sankore Press.
Lippmann, Walter. “The World Outside And the Pictures in Our heads” Public Opinion,
4(1922), 1-22.
Stephans, Brittany. “ You Can Keep Bashing Beyoncé, but here’s why I’m staying firmly
in Formation.” Pop Sugar. 13 February 2016. Web. 10 March 2016.
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