by
Gregory DelliCarpini Jr.
Author
Beyoncé is spotlighted on the new cover of French fashion magazine L'Officiel Paris.
This issue marks the magazine's 90th anniversary and in celebration, Beyoncé agreed to “return to her African roots.” For the spread, the singer was shot in blackface, tribal markings, and traditional African-inspired clothing designed by her mother. The entire spread seems to be dripping of an in authenticity that stems from the use of blackface. Used throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, blackface as a performance tradition served to proliferate racist stereotypes in the United States.
It might have been more interesting to see the singer clad in fashions created by contemporary African fashion designers, rather than to see her wearing fabricated, mock-tribal wear. Do you think the spread and the use of blackface is offensive?
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