Many filmmakers have tried to recreate the Black College Experience for the big screen, but few have done it successfully (with the exception of Spike Lee's "School Daze" (1988) and the 2002 hit "Drumline"). So this part of being Black is not widely understood or known. The Black college experience is a huge part of African-American culture, which was on full display during singer Beyoncé's historic and epic performance at the 2018 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, CA.
Beyoncé is the first black woman to headline Coachella, and on Instagram, Beyoncé's mother, Tina Knowles Lawson, confesses that she had doubts about what was planned for the Coachella crowd. Writing on Instagram, she says she told Beyoncé that she was afraid that the predominately white audience would be confused by the black culture and Black college culture, because it was something that they might not get. Beyoncé's response to her mother, according to Lawson...
She said I have worked very hard to get to the point where I have a true voice and at this point in my life and my career I have a responsibility to do what's best for the world and not what is most popular. She said that her hope is that after the show young people would research this culture and see how cool it is.And the crowd on Saturday, April 14, seemed to love the immersion of the African-American collegiate experience.
From the marching band, to the step show, and moments of pledging, Beyoncé's tribute showcasing Black university life is much appreciated. For anyone not in the know, a student can have that experience at an HBCU (Historically Black College and University) or also on any campus with Black Fraternities and Sororities. And you don't have to be Black to pledge, and you don't have to pledge to experience a step show, or a Battle of The Bands half-time show. And you don't have to go to college to attend an HBCU Classic.
In addition to showcasing the uniqueness of Black College culture, Beyoncé also performed a version of the Black National Anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," and dressed as Queen Nefertiti, as well as brought her husband Jay-Z out on stage, reunited with Destiny's Child, and had a dance-off with her sister, Solange, and lucky for the world, Beyoncé is scheduled to headline again for the second weekend of Coachella on Saturday, April 21.
