Beyoncé is inviting four women to join the formation. In honor of “Lemonade’s” first anniversary, the Grammy award-winning artist and media mogul has unveiled plans for Formation Scholars, a scholarship program for young women seeking higher education. According to Beyoncé’s website, one woman each from Berklee College of Music, Parsons School of Design, Howard University, and Spelman College will be awarded a scholarship for the 2017–2018 academic year.
Incoming or current undergrad and graduate students are eligible for scholarships. However, they must study or plan to study creative arts, music, literature, or African-American studies. “Young women who are unafraid to think outside the box and are bold, creative, conscious, and confident” are encouraged to apply directly through the four selected schools.
“It’s important to me to show images to my children that reflect their beauty, so they can grow up in a world where they look in the mirror… and see themselves, and have no doubt that they’re beautiful, intelligent, and capable,” Beyoncé explained as she accepted this year’s Best Urban Contemporary Album Grammy for “Lemonade.” “This is something I want for every child of every race.”
In her speech Beyoncé implicitly expressed solidarity for those who are or have been oppressed — namely people of color, the LGBTQ community, immigrants, and women. “We all experience pain and loss, and often we become inaudible,” she told the audience. “My intention for the [‘Lemonade’] film and album was to create a body of work that would give a voice to our pain, our struggles, our darkness, and our history. To confront issues that make us uncomfortable.”“I feel it’s vital that we learn from the past and recognize our tendencies to repeat our mistakes,” Beyoncé emphasized.
“Lemonade” was recently honored with a Peabody award. Praising the visual album, the award committee described “Lemonade” as “a rich tapestry of poetic innovation” and a “masterpiece about the lives of women of color and the bonds of friendship seldom seen or heard in American popular culture.”
Head over to Beyoncé’s site for more information about the Formation Scholars program.
