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Are Jay-Z and Beyonce Guilty of Colorism In 'Family Feud' Music Video?

Are Jay-Z and Beyonce Guilty of Colorism In 'Family Feud' Music Video?

Everyone's favourite musical family the Carters - Beyoncé and Jay-Z - dropped a music video for the new year. Called 'Family Feud', the video was first available on Tidal, the music streaming platform launched by Jay-Z. The visuals are incredible. Luckily, Queen B shared some pics on her Instagram.

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on

The stunning church surroundings, the magnificent outfits, and the Carters looking happy and united - despite the song's title - give just a glimpse of the visually stunning video. You can watch the whole thing here, but here are some great clips from it!

The star-studded music video is a celebration of black culture. Directed by Ava DuVernay, of 'Hidden Figures', the Carters are joined by talents such as actors Michael B Jordan and Thandie Newton, who star as king and queen in the year 2444.

The video slips through time, telling the story of 'Founding Mothers' in 2050, who set an order that lasts hundreds of years, and dials back to Jay-Z in 2018 as the music starts.

Many people applauded the music video as a strong statement of black culture and an embrace of the 'Afrofuturism' concept.

However, some people took issue with some aspects of the video, and one word kept coming up.

So what is colorism? It is discrimination based on the shade of someone's skin, not just race, which means it can rear its head in communities of color too. Jenna Graham sums it up well here.

It's not just the Jay-Z video that has been criticized for favouring lighter-skinned black women. The issue comes up again and again in many different communities of color. It has even spawned an industry of skin lightening creams, that some countries are trying to crack down on.

Despite 2017 having been a trailblazing year for our more melanin-rich sisters taking over the fashion world, some think there's still some way to go before prejudice against those with darker skin tone is gone for good. For what it's worth, we say representation matters!


Do you think colorism played a part in the casting of the 'Family Feud' video? Maybe you think people are blowing this out of proportion? Let us know in the comments.

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