Opinion

CANDLER: Beyonce’s documentary: a must see

Courtesy photo

Arshuana Candler is a junior sports management and public relations major from San Diego, Ca.

People are going crazy over Beyoncé’s latest release. Queen B recently released a live album and documentary named “Homecoming” stemming from her recent Coachella performances. The documentary gives the audience an insight to the production and execution of her HBCU inspired performance. I feel that this is amazing for HBCUs all over the country, especially in the state that our country is in right now. HBCUs as a whole aren’t always re ected for the greater good that comes out of attending one as an African American. A public gure as huge as Beyoncé dedicating a show
as large as Coachella is great exposure for the institutions.

The entire Coachella performance was genius from the out ts to the song selections. Beyoncé paid homage to the historically black colleges and universities through out of her performances. She created a mock probate for her imaginary sorority BΔK which was nothing short of stunning. Greek organizations are a huge part of HBCU culture which makes it all the more impressive that Beyoncé recreated this. She also went as far as remixing a HBCU Classic, “Before I Let Go”. This song is one of the HBCU anthems.

Since Beyoncé was the first black woman to head-line Coachella, she felt the responsibility to put on a show that would be inspiring to minorities. She explained how she’d always grown up watching Prairie View and TSU, two HBCUs in her home state and always dreamed of attending an HBCU. She didn’t have the opportunity to choose a college to go to since her career took off at a young age. In a way she was able to live a dream through this performance and show.

Beyoncé wanted to give that raw culture and not sing a ballad with a ower headband. She wanted the performance to be breathtaking, revolutionary and relevant and she accomplished just that.

Ever since she has dropped both the album and documentary, media outlets and social media platforms haven’t stopped talking about HBCUs. Personally I hope that this shows the world that HBCUs are a large part of history and need to get the same treatment as a PWI would. For minorities. I hope it encourages young children and teens to grow up wanting to go to such a historical institution. It wouldn’t hurt for more high school and middle school students around

the globe to be exposed to HBCU cultures. HBCUs should be advertised just as much as PWIs.

She worked so hard to put on a performance to showcase hbcu culture. She wasted no time between having her twins and training. She got straight to the production. She trained for a total of eight months (four music, four dancing) to give us an extravaganza!! She worked hard, she danced sang, did the lights, sounds and the look of the stage. She’s the epitome of hard working woman.

Beyoncé, as well as many other hard working women, show that it is possible to be your own independent woman as well as setting who you are as individual shine into the life of others.