Black Women Respond to Beyoncé’s Lemonade
We love Lemonade! But as white women, we know that it’s not for us. Here is a list we’ve compiled about black women writing about Beyoncé and Lemonade and how it speaks to them. Go forth, enjoy, and learn, gang.
Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ Is Defiant In The Midst Of Upheaval by Kiana Fitzgerald (NPR)
Beyoncé’s LEMONADE is Sweet Tea by Luvvie Ajayi (Awesomely Luvvie)
Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ Is What Happens When Black Women Control Their Art by Jamilah King (Mic)
Sipping Beyonce’s Lemonade by Ronda Lee (HuffPost Black Voices)
4 Things ‘LEMONADE’ Teaches Us About Black Womanhood by Courtney Hall Lee (Sojourners)
A Call and Response with Melissa Harris-Perry: The Pain and the Power of ‘Lemonade’ (Elle.com)
Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ is the love letter to black women we’ve been thirsting for by Blue Telusma (The Grio)
What to read after watching Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ by Nichole Perkins (Fusion)
9 Things You Definitely Didn’t Know About Beyonce’s “Lemonade” by Ashley Reese (gurl)
Beyoncé’s Lemonade is about much more than Jay Z and infidelity by Ijeoma Oluo (The Guardian)
Roundtable: Beyoncé’s Lemonade and the Undeniable Power of a Black Woman’s Vulnerability by Dee Lockett, Ashley Weatherford and Lindsay Peoples (Vulture)
Everything You Need to Know About Beyoncé’s New Visual Album, Lemonade by Dee Locket (Vulture)
Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ Makes Me Want to Be a Better Black Woman by Ezinne Ukoha (HuffPost Black Voices)
Beyoncé’s Lemonade is #blackgirlmagic at its most potent by Syreeta McFadden (The Guardian)
Beyonce’s Lemonade: an Ode to Black Formation in Any Shade by Shannon Luders-Manuel (Guerrilla Feminism)
Beyonce didn’t make Lemonade about white people or black men - and no you don’t have the right to be included by Kuba Shand-Baptiste (The Independent)
A Complete Breakdown of Beyoncé’s Hair Looks From ‘Lemonade’ by Patrice Grell Yursik (Elle)
Savage Lemonade from a Savant. by Ayana Malaika Crichlow (HuffPost Black Voices)
6 black women Beyoncé channels in Lemonade — from Warsan Shire to Zora Neale Hurston by Victoria M. Massie (Vox)
Beyoncé’s Lemonade Is Black Woman Magic by Omise’eke Natasha Tinsley (Time)
Close To Home: A Conversation About Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ by Regina Bradley and Dream Hampton (NPR)
Beyoncé’s Lemonade Doesn’t Have to Mean Everything to Everyone by Imani Jackson (Teen Vogue)
Lemonade Is Beyoncé’s Body and Blood by Clover Hope (Jezebel)
Beyonce’s ‘Lemonade’ Might Not Be About Her Life, But It’s A Lesson For All Of Us by Kadeen Griffiths (Bustle)
Why Lemonade is for Black Women by Dominique Matti (Medium)
I got ‘LEMONADE’ all on my lips by Flose Boursiquot (Blavity)
‘Lemonade’ Is About Black Women Healing Themselves and Each Other by Morgan Jerkins (Elle)
How Beyonce’s 'Lemonade’ Reclaims Rock’s Black Female Legacy by Brittany Spanos (Rolling Stone)
Lemonade: The Black Woman’s Guide To Understanding What You Saw (Negra With Tumbao)
The Hard-To-Take But Smart Relationship Advice Beyoncé Has Given Us by Brittany Luse (Refinery29)
The most powerful words from 'Lemonade’ aren’t Beyonce’s by Lisa Respers France (CNN)
Focusing on Rachel Roy Diminishes The Power Of ‘Lemonade’ by Zeba Blay (HuffPost Women)
‘Lemonade’ Is Beyoncé’s Testimony of Being Black, Beautiful & Burdened by Janet Mock
Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ Is A Powerful Ode To Black Women Everywhere by Lilly Workneh (HuffPost Black Voices)
Beyoncé’s Lemonade Isn’t Just About Cheating, It’s About Black Sisterhood by Treva Lindsey (Cosmopolitan)
How Beyonce’s 'Lemonade’ Exposes Inner Lives of Black Women by Zandria F. Robinson (Rolling Stone)
Beyonce’s Lemonade: A Candid Analysis Of Why We Must Continue to Love that Cool, Refreshing Drink! by Patti R. Rose (HuffPost Black Voices)
How Beyoncé Mixed Traditionalism With Radicalism to Make Lemonade by Aisha Harris (Slate)
Beyoncé’s Lemonade isn’t a breakup album, it’s a black album by Ashley Ray-Harris (The AV Club)
6 Black Girl Magic Moments You Missed In Beyonce’s 'Lemonade’, Because Focusing On Gossip & Infidelity Misses The Message by Char Adams (Bustle)
“Lemonade” Was The Most Beautiful Thing You’ll Ever See In Your Life by Sylvia Obell (BuzzFeed)
Bonus media!
a LEMONADE reader - a working list of black women writers on beyoncé’s latest visual album, ‘LEMONADE’ (whatsgood?)
Tomorrow Looks Bright Weekly Newsletter No. 27: Meet some of the women involved in Beyonce’s latest stunning visual album Lemonade.
Black Girls Talking: Bonus Episode 14 - Beymergency: Lemonade
#HashItOut with Franchesca Ramsey - Piers Morgan Slams Beyonce (The Nightly Show)
Lemonade: A Southern Visual 'Novel’ Unapologetically About The Humanity & Complexity of Black Womanhood (Storify)
We’re sure we’ve missed some magnificent things so reblog and add or send us anything you’ve found! We’ll be updating this post as new articles come out. Happy reading!
Updated with more articles!
Beyonce’s Lemonade and What Black Girls Really Mean by ‘Good Hair’ by Rebecca Thomas (MTV)
A Love Profane by Doreen St. Felix (MTV)
Lemonade, Love, and Being a Black Girl who Becomes a Black Woman by Amani Bin Shikhan (Noisey)
Beyonce’s 'Lemonade’ Is an Anthem for the Retribution of Black Women by Diamond Sharp (Vice)
Eight Black Canadian Women Dissect Beyonce’s Lemonade (CBC)
Beyonce Brings Wonderful Witchcraft, Healing Powers in 'Lemonade’ by Judnick Mayard (Billboard)
“When Life Gives You Lemons”: A Thematic Breakdown of Beyonce’s Surprise Album ‘Lemonade’ by Sajae Elder (Noisey)
Beyoncé, Black Feminist Art, And This Oshun Bidness by Joan Morgan (Genius)
What Beyonce’s 'Lemonade’ Means To Me As A Black Woman by Margaret E. Jacobsen (Romper)
A Reading List for Beyonce’s “Lemonade” by Justina Ireland (Book Riot)
For My Fellow Black Girls Who Don’t Stan for Beyoncé but Respect #Lemonade by Kayla Sutton (Black Girl Nerds)
Beyoncé’s Lemonade tears apart the most demeaning stereotype of black women by Melanie McFarland (Vox)
Beyonce’s Lemonade is Made for Readers by Jamie Moore (Book Riot)
Majoring in Beyoncé: A True Higher Education by Chinwe O. Okeke (Diverse Issues in Higher Education)
Black Women and the Sacred: With “Lemonade,” Beyoncé Takes Us to Church by Yolanda Pierce (Religion Dispatches)
Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’ Reminds Me of Black Beauty Lessons My Mom Instilled in Me by Jacqueline Laurean Yates (Essence)
Beyoncé’s Other Women: Considering The Soul Muses Of Lemonade by Emily J. Lordi (Fader)
Get In Formation: 3 Takes On Beyoncé’s Lemonade (Women Write About Comics)
And more media!
LemonSLAYED by @theblackhotties (podcast)
The Lemonade Syllabus compiled by Candice Benbow
#Lemonade for Girls: In Formation - a reading list compiled by Zetta Elliot
