Beyonce, Black Motherhood, and the VMAs
August 31, 2016On Sunday, August 28th, Beyoncé walked the red carpet of the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) accompanied by several cast members featured in her visual album, Lemonade, including the mothers of Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Oscar Grant, and Michael Brown. The presence of these women on a national stage helps challenge the racist myth of careless Black mothers.
Beyonce was joined by Wanda Johnson, mother of Oscar Grant; Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner; Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin; and Lesley McSpadden-Head, mother of Michael “Mike” Brown, Jr. These four mothers are amongst countless Black women who have built and led movements to fight for justice for their children – and the safety of others.