Beyoncé continues to experience backlash for her performance of “Formation” at the Super Bowl. Several conservatives initially blasted Beyoncé for paying tribute to the Black Panthers during her set. Some viewed the performance as racist and disrespectful to police.
Police officers in several cities have protested the singer by refusing to work her “Formation” tour. According to reports by Fox 13, police in Tampa have yet to sign up for her concert which will take place at Raymond James Stadium on April 29.
Moreover, the Miami Fraternal Order of Police are calling for police across the county to participate in a nationwide boycott of her tour. In a statement, Javier Ortiz, president of the Miami FOP, said, “The fact that Beyoncé used this year’s Super Bowl to divide Americans by promoting the Black Panthers and her antipolice message shows she does not support law enforcement. We ask all law enforcement labor organizations to join our boycott across country and to boycott all of her concerts.”
The boycott is another overreaction by groups when were probably only offended by Beyoncé’s choice to embrace her Black heritage. Black entertainers are often viewed as figures who should smile and dance for the masses without ever being objective when it comes to social issues. Beyoncé
The Black Panthers were not a terrorist organization and should never be compared to a hate group, such as the KKK, that killed and harmed thousands of innocent Blacks. The Black Panther basically wanted to protect their community from police brutality which has always been an issue within the Black community. Video of Rodney King’s beating in the 1990s up until LaQuan McDonald’s execution in Chicago proves that there are problems with bad policing. The Black Panthers were eradicated decades ago, but police brutality remains.
Police will be forced to work Beyoncé’s tour because there will be an issue of public safety if there aren’t any officers at her show. By law, officers can’t intentionally put the public at risk.
However, it proves, again, that some will never understand that being pro-Black in America does not mean anti-White.
