Friday 2 December 2016

Essay Plan

Question

How far does Beyonce's visual album Lemonade promote the views and values of Black Feminism 

Introduction: (270 words)
  • Brief discussion of black feminism and Beyonce's lemonade, leading into first section.
Black feminism is a feminist concept and school of thought which flourished in the 60’s, yet it has often been disregarded due to its lack of authenticity over the preferable mainstream form of Feminism. One may ask what the differences between these two similar concepts are; the answer is simply racial privilege. Racial privilege has allowed white women to have an increased ability to challenge gender-based oppression, while still maintaining access and freedoms whereas women of colour were routinely denied. Institutionalised racism, misogyny and oppression within our societies have placed black women at the bottom of the social hierarchy, making them victims to the discriminative societal standards. Crenshaw’s intersectionality theory epitomises the difficulties of black women; they cannot differentiate race from class and sex oppression due to the fact that they experience them simultaneously.  Black feminism is more than simply empowering women, its roots lie in the struggle and oppression black women have been facing for centuries. Black feminism as a political and social movement ultimately symbolises their right to be liberated from the harsh standards that have been implemented on them.  Beyoncé has conveyed these struggles through her recent 2016 visual album “Lemonade”, which highlights the various struggles that black women face while also embracing the beauty of black women.  Often regarded as an advocate for mainstream Black feminism, Beyoncé has reached global success with her album, sparking several discussions on the issue and increasing social awareness. Nevertheless, the extent of this portrayal is debatable, and this essay will outline the various connections between the two through the exploration of Beyoncé’s text and the complexities of Black feminism. 



Qoutes
  • "Black feminism is a critical social theory that "aims to empower african american women within the context of social injustice sustained by intersecting oppressions" (pg 157) Patricia collin
  • "Everyday black women are embracing bey feminism as a way of "negotiating, co-creating, reinforcing and challenging" their identities as black women in American society." 

Section 1: Black Feminism and connection between Lemonade (300 words )

  • What is Black Feminism 
  • Brief summary of Lemonade 
  • Interpretations of Black Feminism and its connection to Lemonade 
Qoutes 
  • No intervention changed the face of American feminism more than the demand of feminist thinkers acknowledge the reality of race and racism” pg 55
  • "Feminists across America have been debating this form of feminism beyonce proclaims, and whether or not it really is feminism" (156)
Books to refer to: "Bey feminism" vs. Black feminism 
Articles: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/05/11/beyonce-and-lemonade-are-giving-these-feminist-scholars-so-much-to-debate/?utm_term=.74e1401dcd5b


Section 2A: Textual analysis (500 words) 
  • Key chapters and analysis, their connection to Black Feminism 
  • Representation of ethnicity, cameos 
Theories to use: Uses and gratifications, Alvardo representation of ethnicity, 

Analysis of chapters: Anger, Forgiveness, Formation, Apathy, Forward



Qoutes:
  • "If there was any confusion about Beyonces affiliation with her racial identity, "Formation" seeks not to only clarify her promixity.." (Kevin balls article) 
  • "Blackness does not carry a negative connotation. Instead, it is the basis for strength, power, and a positive self-identity. Darker skin is privileged among Black women artists, actresses, models, and dancers in the videos. Thirty of the videos featured women with darker complexions or a combination of lighter and darker skinned women. This was an especially interesting finding after the controversies of the 1980s and 1990s about the frequent use of light-skinned women in music videos, which was criticized for valuing a white standard of beauty (Morgan 1999)" (Scholary article) 

Articles: 


https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/beyonce-lemonade-movie-references-connections-and-secrets



Section 2B: Historical context (300 words) 
  • Black Panther Movement, its portrayal in Formation 
  • Roots of Black feminism 
  • Slavery, its portrayal in one of her songs 
  • Documentaries + interviews (Black Panthers, vanguard of the revolution)

Relevant theories: Intersectionality theory, womanism theory 

Qoutes: 
  • “Within the institutionalized race, sex, class social systems in our society black females were clearly at the bottom of the economic totem pole. Initially well-educated white women from working-class backgrounds were more visible than black females of all classes in feminist movement. They were the minority within the movement, but theirs was a voice of experience” pg40 (Bell hooks)
Articles:


Section 3: Music industry, institutions and other artists (500 words) 
  • Beyonce's capability as an artist, her record label and its advantages 
  • Institutionalised racism 
  • Criticisms of Lemonade 
  • Marketing strategies 
  • Other examples of artists: Solange & Kendrick Lamar 
Qoutes to use: 
  • "Beyonce reinscribes feminist sensibilities in her music which impact popular culture" (155) 
  • "Some believe that she is inauthentic in her cause and is using feminism and womens issues only as a means to sell albums" (160) 
  • "Peterson and Berger saw musical culture as being cyclical, with pop music beginning on the street as a genuine artistic creation acting in resistance to dominant culture and the alienation or oppression felt by those outside the mainstream. They observed that, as new music gains an audience, it is taken by the recording companies, repackaged and sanitised to create music with mass appeal" (Media magazine article) 
Criticisms: Piers Morgan




Relevant theories: Misogynoir, Black music (Paul Gilroy), Post colonialism (feminist version). Blaxploitation 


Scholary works: "Where My Girls At?": Negotiating Black Womanhood in Music Videos


 Articles:
  • Identities, how far does Lemonade convey these identities 
  • Is it still a current movement, Black Lives Matter and so on 
  • What impact has feminism had in America, Uk? 
Qoutes to use: 
  • “Critical interventions around race did not destroy the women’s movement; it became stronger. Breaking through denial about race helped women face reality of difference on all levels. And we were finally putting in place a movement that did not place the class interests of privileged women, especially white women, over that of all other women.” pg58 (Bell Hooks) 
  • Race has become a marker for the activity of urban social movements and their conflict with urban political systems and state institutions pg312 (Paul gilroy) 
Articles:
  • http://www.indiewire.com/2016/04/beyonces-lemonade-is-a-celebration-of-black-identity-analysis-289327 
  • https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/09/black-feminist-movement-fails-women-black-minority 

Conclusion: (100 words)

  • Extent of portrayal of black feminism,
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