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In the opening scene of episode 6 of season 1 in Chuck Lorre’s new CBS comedy Bob Hearts Abiola, there is an interesting scene.
Abishola (Folake Olowofoyeku) tells Bob (Billy Gardell) she is only aware that she is black when she is in the US. In Nigeria she says, “I never thought about the colour of my skin. I was just Abishola…”
She then adds that every day she walks out the door she is continuously reminded of her being a black woman.
For Abiola, her identity is still traceable, tangibly rooted to her African ancestry. She can still pronounce her name properly, speaks her language and engages in her lot of her tradition.
Beyonce’s Black Is King is a love letter to the African diaspora who do not have that tangible, traceable connection with their heritage. Her aesthetically pleasing, a well-choreographed homage to the power of being black. To call it a visual album is to belie what it is. It is a powerful collection of imagery, narrative, resplendent with a rich dip into art steeped in the African continent, curated from the creative juices of the motherland, often seen from the rest of the world as dark and unyielding.
It is feast at one of the highest tables of art. The brown tones, the explosion of colour, using authentic settings
While a lot of the art is from the continent, much like Abishola, its essence is fully understood for a diaspora that is constantly in search of a sense of belonging. Being African-American remains an intangible identity, particularly for the many whose families run deep, hundreds of years in some instances. Other Americans will consistently point to their Irish or Italian heritage with consummate ease but for the African-American, a hodge-podge of what it means it to be black is offered.
In Black is King, she speaks from the perspective of the diaspora, that they are part of the rich history of the African continent. For those on the continent, it is something they live every day. If you ask a person to go and tell your grandmother to be proud of being black, she will simply shake her had and reassure you of her goodwill with the expression, “I’ll pray for you.” After all, she does not even think about what it feels to be anything else, and fundamentally feels whole in herself, grounded in her identity.
Sure, there are conversations that can be had about the recent interest in exploiting Africa’s cultural heritage and plastering it onto American vehicles of distribution that fundamentally benefit capitalism as opposed to the artists themselves. Using the African aesthetic, of course, makes it feel like inclusion, but in reality, it generally isn’t, at least not at the tables that matter.
But for what she intended it, Beyonce does the needful and hits the mark. Her letter, not for us on the continent is empowering. It is for them and helps them along the way. And too that she gives real paying jobs to African creatives on the continent along with using herself as a platform for their visibility.
For what it means though, Beyonce says:
It was originally filmed as a companion piece to ‘The Lion King: The Gift’ soundtrack and meant to celebrate the breadth and beauty of Black ancestry. I could never have imagined that a year later, all the hard work that went into this production would serve a greater purpose
The events of 2020 have made the film’s vision and message even more relevant, as people across the world embark on a historic journey.
I believe that when Black people tell our own stories, we can shift the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books.
The full caption is below
If you missed the Black Is King premiere on M-Net this weekend, it is DStv Catchup for Premium subscribers.
Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures, Parkwood Entertainment
Distributor: Disney+
Cast: Folajomi Akinmurele, Connie Chiume, Nyaniso Ntsikelelo Dzedze, Nandi Madida, Warren Masemola, Sibusiso Mbeje, Fumi Odede, Stephen Ojo, Mary Twala
Director: Beyoncé
Directors: Emmanuel Adjei, Blitz Bazawule, Pierre Debusschere, Jenn Nkiru, Ibra Ake, Dikayl Rimmasch, Jake Nava
Screenwriters: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Yrsa Daley-Ward, Clover Hope, Andrew Morrow
Producers: Jeremy Sullivan, Jimi Adesanya, Blitz Bazawule, Ben Cooper, Astrid Edwards, Durwin Julies, Yoli Mes, Dafe Oboro, Akin Omotoso, Will Whitney, Lauren Baker, Jason Baum, Alex Chamberlain, Robert Day, Christophe Faubert, Brien Justiniano, Rethabile Molatela Mothobi, Sylvia Zakhary, Nathan Scherrer, Erinn Williams
Executive producers: Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Erinn Williams, Steve Pamon, Janet Rolle, Nathan Scherrer
Directors of photography: Ryan Marie Helfant, Mohammaed Atta Ahmed, Michael Fernandez, Danny Hiele, Nicolai Niermann, Malik Sayeed, Santiago Gonzalez, David Boanuh, Erik Henriksson, Laura Merians, Kenechukwu Obiajulu, Benoit Soler
Costume designer: Zerina Akers
Editors: Andrew Morrow, Maria-Celeste Garrahan, Haines Hall, Tom Watson
Composer: James William Blades, Melo-X, Derek Dixie
Casting director: Anissa Williams
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