I don’t know about you, but I woke up basking in my black girl glow after scrolling through my Instagram feed and realizing that the issue along with photos for Beyonce’s Vogue shoot was finally released!
For those of you reading who don’t know, Beyonce was given total control of the way she would be featured in Vogue magazine. She has been dominating this 2018 year, considering that she managed to rent out the entire Louvre museum (that Kim K wasn’t allowed to rent) in Paris that holds classic pieces such as the original Mona Lisa painting.
Not only is her power impressive, but what she does with it is even greater. Given the control, she decided to have Tyler Mitchell, a 23-year-old black photographer, take her pictures for the magazine.
What’s monumental about this? Vogue, in its 126 years of running, has never once had a black photographer. Beyonce and Mitchell made history.
My favorite part about this issue (for September) is the fact that she kept it raw, natural, yet royal. In the interview with Vogue, she made it clear how she wanted to be portrayed:
“I think it’s important for women and men to see and appreciate the beauty in their natural bodies. That’s why I stripped away the wigs and hair extensions and used little makeup for this shoot.”
In the photos you’ll see that the entire scope is given, not just the close-up. The backdrops were obviously the center of the pictures as well, showing how they went in a field. The simplistic aesthetic of the shoot accentuates Beyonce’s inner glow. Her beauty shines through the effortless poses that exude both a sense of peace and confidence about herself and the place she is at in her life.
Oddly enough, at the end of the interview that I didn’t get to finish reading up until now, she actually mentions the state that she’s in right now:
“I’m in a place of gratitude right now. I am accepting of who I am. I will continue to explore every inch of my soul and every part of my artistry. I want to learn more, teach more, and live in full. I've worked long and hard to be able to get to a place where I can choose to surround myself with what fulfills and inspires me.”
I love how in the interview she mentions many different parts about her life and perspective on multiple aspects. I also admire how it wasn’t a question and answer type of interview script; it was more of a book with chapters.
I loved each section, but the ones that stood out to me the most are as follows:
‘Her journey
“I look at the woman I was in my 20s and I see a young lady growing into confidence but intent on pleasing everyone around her. I now feel so much more beautiful, so much sexier, so much more interesting. And so much more powerful.”’
This piece inspired me because as a woman who just turned 20, I am absolutely, extremely excited for what lies ahead in my life. I feel like everything is slowly but surely coming into place with my career plans and aspirations, and It feels amazing to be in a space where I know the ball is rolling. I have so many goals and dreams that I want to come to life and achieve and I know in my heart that they will. I want to explore what is within me, and extract power and light from that.
I know many of you reading, whether male or female, ages 10 or 90, can relate. All of your interests look different, but we each all have the capability to evolve into the best versions of ourselves. Go after what you love to do and what you’re passionate about. Make life valuable and more fun for yourself.
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‘Freedom
“I don’t like too much structure. I like to be free. I’m not alive unless I am creating something. I’m not happy if I’m not creating, if I’m not dreaming, if I’m not creating a dream and making it into something real. I’m not happy if I’m not improving, evolving, moving forward, inspiring, teaching, and learning.”’
This ties in to what I said earlier. We should all be attracted and somewhat addicted (in the best way) to evolving. Whether that be in our careers, home life, friendships, relationships, hobbies, etc. every single thing about us has the ability to improve. This is exactly why we shouldn’t just settle for what we’re being given and told to eat. Such as this crooked and corrupt system we have to deal with, unequal rights, and the list goes on. We all have freedom that comes from our minds. With freedom we have the ability to overcome the system just by the way we think and act.
I can relate to her loving freedom, because self-given freedom is where history is made up of life-changing events. So how much more would we be able to do amazing things if we were to tap into that?
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‘Legacy
“As the mother of two girls, it’s important to me that they see themselves too—in books, films, and on runways. It’s important to me that they see themselves as CEOs, as bosses, and that they know they can write the script for their own lives—that they can speak their minds and they have no ceiling. They don’t have to be a certain type or fit into a specific category. They don’t have to be politically correct, as long as they’re authentic, respectful, compassionate, and empathetic. They can explore any religion, fall in love with any race, and love who they want to love…I want the same things for my son. I want him to know that he can be strong and brave but that he can also be sensitive and kind. I want my son to have a high emotional IQ where he is free to be caring, truthful, and honest…I want to create better representations for him so he is allowed to reach his full potential as a man, and to teach him that the real magic he possesses in the world is the power to affirm his own existence.”
I love that her empowerment mindset doesn’t just end at her daughters. It pours into her son as well. What people don’t realize is that feminism isn’t just about women. It’s about men and women both having the same rights and supporting those rights for each other. As a mom I plan to do the same for my kids and break the generational, societal curse that has been put on our minds. I want to teach my kids young and be an advocate for all things of equality, justice, freedom, love, respect and happiness.
I don’t want to make this blog post a book, even though I really could’ve if I wanted to because there is just so many great things to talk about (I might write more for myself personally), but I just wanted to share my favorite moments about this entire Vogue magazine feature with Beyonce with you guys.
She is legendary. She is powerful. She is a force to be reckoned with. I could not be happier that she is representing and moving mountains for black people in this tough, white-male dominated industry and society as a whole.
We always talk about how important it is to have a president and political members to do for communities, but how much more powerful is it to have figures such as Beyonce who reach even deeper crowds with their platforms to educate and empower?
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