Class Year
2018
Document Type
Blog Post
Publication Date
3-9-2016
Department 1
Civil War Institute
Abstract
Not only did Beyoncé slay in her latest music video, but she got historical. Her single "Formation" touches on feminism, oppression, sexuality, and police brutality, and her video offers a visual representation for the overall theme of African American cultural ownership. It is, of course, an essential message for contemporary discussion, and the formerly-silenced subject is beginning to achieve prevalence in the music industry, but there is something special and bold about Beyoncé’s take on race: by appealing to Civil War memory and forcing viewers to accept the African American struggle for life, freedom, and success, she is shattering perceptions of one of our country’s most popular areas of historical study. What’s more? She’s a woman. [excerpt]
Copyright Note
This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution.
Recommended Citation
Jensen, Anika N., "Causing Conversation: Civil War Memory in Beyoncé’s “Formation”" (2016). The Gettysburg Compiler: On the Front Lines of History. 117.
https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/compiler/117
Comments
This blog post originally appeared in The Gettysburg Compiler and was created by students at Gettysburg College.