Beyoncé is paying it forward in a big way.
In honor of the one-year anniversary of her groundbreaking visual album, Lemonade, the “Pray You Catch Me” singer has announced a new initiative, with young, creative women in mind.
According to the announcement made via Twitter, Formation Scholars — named after Lemonade’s lead single — will award four scholarships for the 2017-2018 academic year to “encourage and support young women who are unafraid to think outside the box and are bold, creative, conscious and confident.” Meanwhile, recipients must be pursuing a degree in creative arts, music, literature or African-American studies at Berklee College of Music, Howard University, Parsons School of Design and Spelman College.
The announcement comes shortly after the expecting mother was honored with a Peabody Award for her revolutionary release, Lemonade. Once known as the “Pulitzer Prizes for Radio,” the Peabody Awards recognize excellence in television, radio and digital broadcasting. The pop icon is among seven honorees in the Entertainment category to be named to be part of the Peabody Awards’ inaugural Peabody 30, honoring programming in news, radio/podcast, web and public service, which will take place on May 20 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.
“Lemonade draws from the prolific literary, musical, cinematic, and aesthetic sensibilities of Black cultural producers to create a rich tapestry of poetic innovation,” Peabody organizers said in a statement. “The audacity of its reach and fierceness of its vision challenges our cultural imagination, while crafting a stunning and sublime masterpiece about the lives of women of color and the bonds of friendship seldom seen or heard in American popular culture.”
Are you one of the four lucky ladies? For more information on Bey’s latest move, contact each institution directly.
In the meantime, catch Bey as she accepts her latest honor on June 2 on PBS and Fusion.
