On February 16, 2016, there will be an anti-Beyoncé protest rally in front of the NFL headquarters in New York. How strange, isn't it? I never imagined reading such information in the newspapers, but it's true. Superstar Beyoncé is receiving a plethora of criticism due to her halftime performance at this year's Superbowl. Critics of Beyoncé, who planned and organized the rally, say the song she chose promoted racism and was "a slap in the face to law enforcement." Beyoncé performed her new single, "Formation," which she released a day before the Superbowl. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Now, I'm not sure what exactly makes Beyoncé's song racist. To begin, let's establish what exactly racism is. Racism is defined as “the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics or abilities specific to that race, especially in such a way as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to one or more other races.” Racism is based on a system of oppression and differs greatly from discrimination. Although anyone can discriminate against another race, only those who benefit from the system of oppression can be considered racist. Therefore, Beyoncé's song cannot be racist, but can still be discriminatory. Now that we've got the technical details out of the way, it's important to actually analyze the lyrics of this song. I myself have listened to this song over and over again. There is no hate speech of any kind in his words. She does, however, repeatedly refer to her own race. For example, she states: “My daddy Alabama/Mom Louisiana/you mix this nigger with this creole/get a Texas Bamma.” » Here, she refers specifically to her racial heritage. Beyoncé also referenced race in the following lines: "I like my baby hair/with baby hair and afros/I like my nose black with the nostrils of the Jackson Five." » In these lines, she simply expresses that she adores her daughter's natural hair and her husband's wide nose, both of which are regularly criticized by the media. I do not recognize hate speech of any kind in these words. I could understand some sort of outrage if Beyoncé had proclaimed that her black heritage or black features made her superior to other races, but she did no such thing. Beyoncé didn't even make the slightest mention of other races in her song. She doesn't sing anything violent, she doesn't include lyrics that are humiliating or offensive to other races. She expresses admiration for her own heritage, but I'm completely stunned as to how this is considered discriminatory. Yet countless songs mention the singer's lover's beautiful blonde hair and dreamy blue eyes, and no one protests against these artists. Keep in mind: this is just a sample. Get a personalized paper now from our expert writers. So, you ask, how do the anti-Beyonce protesters find any validity in their arguments? I have an answer for you; the “Formation” video clip. The song itself does not contain any questionable or sensitive lyrics. This, I believe, makes it completely acceptable to be played at the Superbowl. The music video is another story. These people are outraged because in Beyoncé's video she shows a sign that says "Stop Shooting Us." It also features a young boy dressed in a hoodie, dancing in front of the police. Following this.