Beyonce, Alice Walker, and Sojourner Truth

I'm ready for the stans. Is Beyonce comparable to Alice Walker and Sojourner Truth? Hmmm... Let me first say that Rutgers University is reaching by even placing Beyonce, and maybe Alice Walker, in a category with Sojourner Truth. Now that I've said that, I will say yes and no. I respect Beyonce's hustle. She works hard and she has changed the lives of numerous women. She has boosted their self esteem, broken records for women of all races, and she has inspired a generation. Beyonce is a positive force. She has never been in any personal scandal. She doesn't have a negative reputation, she's been in a stable relationship for 10 years, and she has a baby born out of a loving union of two successful parents. If I had a daughter, Beyonce would be her role model.

The no part comes with Beyonce's line of work. I'm not saying that being a musician isn't important but I can't say Beyonce has changed the game with her music. She has made people step their game up, but she hasn't done anything that hasn't been done before. Beyonce is a tried and true formula. Light skinned black girl, flinging big blonde hair, in a tiny leotard. Beyonce has not broken any type of mold, and frankly, she's safe. Beyonce is a manufactured product. The Beyonce we see today is different from the Beyonce of old. The Beyonce of Destiny's Child days actually had a personality and an opinion, now I can write a Beyonce interview. She has no opinion on the political issues of today, I don't know if Beyonce is actually registered to vote, and she's too safe. Her people took everything that has "worked" for creating stars and did it for Beyonce.

Beyonce does not fit into the mold of Alice Walker and Sojourner Truth, and it is an insult to put her in the same category. Alice Walker changed the way people read, Sojourner Truth changed the way people looked at black women. Their impact will be felt for years to come. Just because Beyonce can sing, dance, and fling yaki like no other, doesn't mean that she's fit to be in the same category of people who forever changed literature and black women's rights. I doubt people will be singing Beyonce songs in the next 20 years. Beyonce is not doing what she's doing to impact a generation and change the world, she's doing what she's doing because it sells records and puts money in her pockets. That is what will keep Beyonce