By Shanaya Day

“World Stop.”

The “Queen Bee” herself, Beyoncé Knowles, is receiving a lot of unnecessary backlash from her “Formation” video and her Super Bowl X halftime performance.

Beyoncé used her platform to acknowledge the Black Lives Matter movement and the Black Panther Party.

In her video, she uses great imagery to put a spotlight on police brutality, showing a young boy wearing a hood, dancing in front of a graffiti wall that reads “stop shooting us”.

A line of police officers watches the boy dance.

During her performance, she channeled Michael Jackson, wearing a body suit that resembled the top he wore in his 1993 Super Bowl performance.

Her dancers wore black leotards and black barrets, recognizing the 50th year anniversary of the formation of the Black Panther Party.

So what’s all the commotion about?

No one expected Beyoncé to touch on the obvious social issues concerning race for the sake of her diverse mainstream audience. Now that she is speaking out in defense of her own African-American culture, many people have become offended.

Saturday Night Live aired a trailer for a spoof apocalyptic movie called “The Day Beyoncé Turned Black.” The blunt title alone drew many viewers, offending some, of course. The skit is hilarious as it shows white people panicking when they “realize” Beyoncé is black. The skit does a great job bringing realization to and poking fun at childish racist antics.

Tampa and Miami police departments have taken a stand against Beyoncé because they believe that she is promoting anti-police movements. Some officers have even refused to provide her with security for her upcoming world tour, and will be boycotting it instead. All of this because Beyoncé did her job as an artist and expressed her beliefs for her audience.

She’s not going to stop her job, so officers, please don’t stop yours.

Remember, we’re talking about Beyoncé Knowles. She’s well respected, well connected and of course, well protected.

Nation of Islam leader Minister Louis Farrakhan praised Beyoncé on her controversial performance.

“She started talking that black stuff and white folks said, ‘We don’t know how to deal with that,’” Farrakhan said during a sermon in Detroit last month. “You gonna picket? You’re not gonna offer her police protection? But the FOI [Fruit of Islam] will.”

The FOI is the Nation of Islam’s male- only paramilitary wing, in lieu of police protection.

Whenever any prominent African- American speaks out on structural discrimination, racism, or uplifting the African-American community, the outcome is always controversy. Why can’t we stand up for the people that have always been targeted?

I must say, this year’s Black History Month was definitely one for the books.

In the 29 days of February, Stacey Dash suggested to get rid of Black History Month, Jada Pinkett-Smith called for a boycott of the Oscars with the support of her husband Will Smith and Spike Lee due to of the lack of African-American nominations, Kendrick Lamar won a Grammy for his culturally uplifting music, and Beyoncé finally took a stand on social discrimination issues.

Beyoncés song “Formation” is definitely a hit, and not just because of the cool beat and the timing of the bass drop.

Her lyrics are empowering for all African-Americans, bringing stereotypes to light instead of sweeping them under the rug out of embarrassment.

It’s motivational for those singing out loud “I just might be a black Bill Gates in the making.”

Her performance promotes financial, educational, and emotional black power. It does not take anything away from the police or white Americans for that matter.

Everyone is entitled to her own opinion. I believe in fighting for equality and standing up for equality. I stand with Bey.

“Carry on.”