Shine Bright like a Diamond:
Beyoncé looked resplendent in her skin-tight black dress, and alongside her husband, Jay-Z, she epitomises the image of a powerful, successful Black woman.
Not an easy feat in a world beset by racism and patriarchy. Around her neck, she wore a 128.54 carat Yellow Diamond, which was mined in 1877 in Kimberly, estimated to be worth around 30 million dollars.
She became the 4th woman to wear the iconic stone and the first Black woman.
Because of colonialism and slavery, any person who knows or cares to know, about Black History (specifically African history) that particular diamond, among many others, has a tainted, violent history attached to it.
While people admired the power couple, there was a backlash because of the history of the diamond and because Beyoncé is a Black woman.
Amid continued white supremacy and worldwide racism and inequality, I don't think that was the best choice she made. (Not that my opinion matters to her, but here it is nonetheless).
I believe Beyoncé was upset that no one lashed out at Lady Gaga for wearing the diamond to the Oscars in 2019 but had plenty to say about her wearing it for the ad campaign for Tiffany & Co, the owners of the Yellow Diamond.
As a wealthy, powerful Black couple, Beyoncé and Jay-Z have done much to finance Black businesses and are well known for giving to charities that uplift Black communities. They aren't legally obligated to do so, and their generosity is commendable.
We should rid ourselves of the notion that successful Black and Brown people must uplift the communities that they are from. That's wrong because we don't hold white people such as Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk to the same standard, expecting them to uplift poor, white people.
It's their wealth, and they can do with it, whatever they choose to, however, I feel that Beyoncé’s donning of said diamond was a poor choice and a slap in the face for Black, Brown and Indigenous People.
White, wealthy people, including Lady Gaga, can't be compared to Black people because our histories and lived experiences differ. I have, however, not seen one of them sporting Nazi regalia, like the infamous swastika. This is because they are mindful that there is a painful, bloody history attached to anything affiliated with Nazi's.
Let's be candid and understand that if white people can be mindful of atrocities that happened to them, why should we give Beyoncé a pass for not caring or not knowing the history of that diamond?
What would have been tremendous is if she spoke about the history of the diamond. If she said: " I am wearing this diamond, not only to attest to its beauty and value and to reaffirm that the diamond comes from my ancestors and the untold wealth of Africa, but that we, as Black people, can overcome adversity despite enormous odds and shine bright like a diamond."
