Beyonce is …well, Beyonce. It’s funny how, when it comes to her, that word encompasses so much. And yet there isn’t really a need to say anything else. She’s Beyonce. Period.
On Sunday, YouTube hosted a virtual graduation ceremony for the Class of 2020, because, you know, coronavirus has robbed them of an actual graduation. The ceremony featured “inspirational leaders, celebrities and YouTube creators (gathered) to celebrate graduates, their families and their communities.”
And Beyonce, of course, brought it in her speech, starting with: “Congratulations to the class of 2020. You have arrived here in the middle of a global crisis, a racial pandemic, and worldwide expression of outrage at the senseless killing of yet another unarmed Black human being. And you still made it. We’re so proud of you.”
But this wasn’t merely a commencement type speech, no, Beyonce used her time and her voice to address the racism and sexism she’s faced in the industry and to thank people for “using your collective voice and letting the world know that Black lives matter.”
The whole thing is worth a listen:
And remember, like Beyonce said: “Your queerness is beautiful, your blackness is beautiful. Your compassion, your understanding, your fight for people who may be different from you, is beautiful.”