Beyonce's Lemonade changed her career forever. The album not only was her magnum opus, but it was an album that solidified Beyonce as beyond a superstar, but an international icon of music. She is an icon. It has been 10 years since Lemonade has been released, and people are still talking about its complex meanings to this day. The album explored the black women experience in the United States of America. It dealt with adultery or martial betrayal, healing, and other themes structured as a song cycle based on the Kubler-Ross model. It was a surprise album being released on April 23, 2016, by Parkwood Entertainment and Columbia Records. The album was recorded in many studies in Los Angeles, New York City, and Burbank. The album had elements of R&B, hip hop, rock, country, art pop, etc. There were many producers from Kevin Garrett, Diana, Jonathan Coffer, etc. The album had many singles like Formation, Sorry, Hold up, Freedom, and All Night. Lemonade wasn't just made up of one genre. It was an eclectic, genre-blending album with avant-garde and art pop elements. It also had funk, gospel, reggae, blues, jazz, and soul music. It had many musicians like Jack White, the Weeknd, James Blake, and Kendrick Lamar. When it was released, it immediately had platinum certifications in many countries across Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. The Lemonade was the world's best-selling album of the year. Five singles supported the album. There was the Formation World Tour, the first all-stadium tour by a woman artist. Critics immediately called the album a classic. The BBC called Lemonade the greatest album of the 2010s decade by publications like the Association Press. It topped Rolling Stone's Greatest Albums of the 21st century list. Lemonade won many Grammys like Best Ruban Contemporary Album and Best Music Video the 59th Grammy Awards. It won a Peabody Award in Entertainment at the 76th Annual Peabody Awards and received four nominations at the 68th Primetime Emmy Awards. Lemonade has been a subject of analysis in academic journals, college courses, books, and museum exhibitions.
Lemonade came after Beyonce's fifth eponymously album called Beyonce which came about in 2013. On February 6, 2016, Beyonce released the song Formation to promote opposition to police brutality and standing up of black liberation. The song had trap and bounce elements in it as Beyonce is a Southern black woman. The song was performed at Super Bowl 50 halftime show in celebrate of the 60th year anniversary of the Black Panthers. She wanted to promote healing and transformation in her music. The themes in Lemonade include concepts like Intuition, Denial, Anger, Apathy, Emptiness, Accountability, Reformation, Forgiveness, Resurrection, Hope, and Redemption. The Formation music video was directed by Melina Matsoukas. Melina talked about Lemonade and Beyonce in these terms, "She wanted to show the historical impact of slavery on black love, what it has done to the black family, and black men and women - how we're almost socialized not to be together." Beyonce wanted her family history of generational hurt to make solutions and knowing that our history makes us both bruised and beautiful. Beyonce linked his father's adultery to Jay Z's adultery. Beyonce quote Jay Z's grandmother Hattie White saying that, "I had my ups and downs, but I always find the inner strength to pull myself up. I was served lemons, but I made lemonade." She praised her grandmother, Agnez Dereon too. Her album deals with black feminism and the evil of misogynoir and racism in society. She links African ancestry to our black American experience. In the Lemonade video, she wears a tignon. This is in reference to the Louisiana's tignon laws. They were created in 1786 that limited African American women's dress in order to maintain the state's racist social hierarchies. Elements of Yoruba orisha religion, Creole culture, and Santeria religion is found in album. You know me, so I don't agree with paganism at all.
One of the most important news of our time is the trade war between America and Canada. This war started by Trump refusing to go along with a proposed deal with Canada. Since that time, the trade war has only itensified among both nations. Trump ammounced U.S. tariffs on Canadian cars, trucks, and auto parts. THis was imposed last year in overt vioaltion of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will be doubled from 25 to 50 percent on January 1, 2027. Steel, already tariffed at 50 percent, will be included in the order. This came after Washington imposed 50 percent tariffs on more than $20 billion in other Canadian goods. Trump claims that Canada is ripping off the United States of America for year. Prime Minister of Canada Mark Carney responded to Trump by saying that Canada is at war. On Tuesday, his Liberal government finalized retaliatory tariffs on almost $20 billion in U.S. goods, at rages 15, 25, and 50 percent, matching Washington's dollar for dollar, rate to rate, to be established by September 6. The global overall trade war that Trump has created since returning to the White House in 2025 has harmed our economic system. Trump desires control of the world's markets, monopolize markets and resources, and we witness a violent redivision of the globe. Trump has outright desired to make Canada the 51st state of America. Trump and the MAGA movement believes that U.S. dominance must extent all over. Trump has plans in trying to seize Greenland and the Panama Canal too. He has already promoted the January 2026 invasion of Venezuela, the abduction of its president, Nicholas Madura. Trump has tried to intimidate Mexico and desires to make Cuba a puppet Western state. Now, we have the war in Ukraine, genocide in Gaza, and the war in Iran at the same time. Zelensky is not perfect, but certain tank movements omit that Russia illegally invaded Ukraine and used war crimes against the Ukrainian people. Trump promoted the new tariff by invoking Section 338 of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of 1930, which caused protectionist trade blocs that influenced the origin of WWII. Both American and Canadian workers suffer by these tariffs as a tariff is a tax on imports passed on to consumers in a higher price. The tariffs on plywood, cement, dairy, clothing, appliances, etc. will cause more American to pay more for housing, groceries, and utility bills. Canadian workers will suffer for issues too. We need the unity of workers, regardless of nationality and a sense of purpose to resolve tariff issues progressively.
In our generation, there are a new generation of sellouts who are overt in not only making anti-black statements, but they are agreeing with Trump on nearly every issue, no matter who repugnant it is. For example, there is a far right MAGA commentator named Officer Tatum who has a known history (similar to Tommy Sotomayr) in degrading black women by insulting their hair and appearance. That is wrong as misogynoir is evil, not woman should be degraded regardless of their color. Attacking black women is nothing more than agent behavior, and we, as black people, have every God given right to defend the dignity and humanity of black women. Without black women, no human on Earth would exist. Also, this Brandon Tatum made disrespectful comments about Michelle Obama. These haters must have forgotten that we, as black people, will stand up for ourselves and for the dignity of black women including the rest of the black community. This Tatum person degrades black women to elevate white women in a false sense of superiority. This is not preference, but it is total self hatred expressed by Tatum. When Tatum was asked if he agrees with black people being better off during slavery, Tatum agreed with view. Tatum has total self-loathing 100 percent. There is no other way around it. The reality is that we have sociological studies and other studies documenting the reality of racism, colorism, misogynoir, sexism, imperialism, and other forms of oppression harming people globally. He has appeared in Turning Point events and other conservative functions. Tatum lied and said that there is no picture of Nolan hanging out with black people when photos exist of Nolan with many black people. The MAGA cult is not only anti-Christian but anti-God. MAGA wants massive cuts to the social safety net, the ending of birthright citizenship, xenophobia, the restriction of even mail-in voting, and glorifies destructive imperialism including unjust wars like in Iran. That is not what Jesus Christ taught or condoned at all period.
It is no secret that MAGA is filled with racism. Laura Loomer is one of the most racist members of the MAGA movement. Angie Nixon just said that Laura ate dog food on camera which is true. Loomer made a racist remark about Angie Nixon calling her a ghetto b word and mocked Ebonics. Loomer is ignorant and silly for many reasons. First, ghetto refers to a location, but it shouldn't be used to mock working class black people or any person. Second, Angie Nixon did nothing wrong, and she stated a fact. Third, no black woman should be called the b word, and Loomer's misogynoir is typical of many MAGA followers who are jealous of qualified, educated, and powerful black women. Tons of black women that I know in real life are filled with great character, and we have to call out anyone who makes racist and sexist remarks about black women. That is our job. Angie Nixon is running her political race, and she should be judged solely on her political views, not her color or sex. When you have even Marjorie Taylor Greene condemning Loomer's racist remarks months ago, you know that Loomer is a sick, lying, Trump follower who has no true integrity. Angie Nixon is a black woman who is running a historic progressive campaign, and we wish her the best in her endeavors.
There is more information about my late great-grandaunt Ethel Lee Edmunds (1909-1983) that I didn't know about. I found out that she was a Deaconess of a church. A newspaper recorded her obituary. She lived in Irvington, New Jersey. She and her husband had many children who are Mary Clark (1935-2015), Ethel Fairwell (1943-2012), Hattie Mae Harris (1927-2013), Naomi Esther Harris (1937-2002), Ella Harris, Clarence Edward Harris (1932-1984), Joseph Henry Harris (1933-1998), Harvery Harris Jr. (1938-1999), Roosevelt Harris (1940-2002), Columbus Harris (1944-2014), James Lee E., and Alfred Harris (b. 1956). During the time of her passing on October 22, 1983. She had nine great-grandchildren, seven sisters, four brothers, and other relatives and friends. The funeral service took place on October 26, 1983 at 1 pm. in Pilgrim Baptist Church at 34 Hudson Street, in Newark, New Jersey. The interment took place at Graceland Memorial Park. The parents of Ethel Lee Edmunds were Adam D. (b. 1862) and Mary Eliza Edmunds (b. 1873). The parents of Adam D. were Alfred D. (b. 1828) and Jennie D. (1820-1919). The parents of Alfred D. were my 4th great-grandparents of James D. and Edney D.
There is another distant cousin who passed away on March 14, 2021, in Baltimore, Maryland named Michael Darnell Fuller Sr. He was born on July 16, 1969. His parents were the late Jacquelin D. and David Fuller. He was loved by his grandparents the late Joseph D. Sr. and Shirlen D. Michael attended Baltimore City Public Schools. He was introduced to Jesus Christ at Ames Memorial Baptist Church and participated in their Sunday Bible school and their summer vacation Bible school. He loved his wife and his children. He worshipped God, watched the news, watched football games, went fishing, and did crossword puzzles. He moved into North Carolina and was in many jobs. He worked at Swift Transportation and Epps Trucking Company until he started to have health issues with his back. Michael Darnell Fuller Sr.'s wife is Lisa Betts (b. January 31, 1973). His son is Michael Fuller Jr.; father, David Fuller (Felicia); six stepchildren, Latrice Brown, Kennard and Kennianiah Honeyblue, Shelton, Asia, Allison, and Franchesta Davis; six grandchildren, Chris; King; Jaylen, Dominique Jr., Dominique 3rd and Armani; four brothers, Marcus D. (Laura), Charles Williams (Lynette), Darius Fuller, Brandon Stuart; three sisters, Taylor, Asia, and Tiffany Fuller; one sister-in-law, Maxine Betts; two brothers-in-law, Darryl and David Betts; four aunts, Minnie Hopkins, Shirley Brayboy, Bettie Robinson and Barbara Fuller; one uncle, Clifton D.; four cousins/sisters, Lisa Muse, Veronica Doggett, Karen Hopkins and Chandra Spencer; and a host of other family and friends. My 2nd cousin Michael Fuller Sr.'s parents were Jacquelin D. and David Fuller. The parents of Jacquelin D. were Joseph D. (1922-2001) and Sherline Johnson (1925-2012). The parents of Joseph D. were my 2nd great grandfather Adam D. and Nancy Reynolds (1888-1892).
I found out recently that I have a distant 5th cousin named Derreck Anthony Darden (who was in the U.S. military), and he was born in February 25, 1985 at Franklin, Virginia. He is married to Brittainy Chanel Jones). Derreck Anthony Darden is a descendant of my 5th great-granduncle John Burwell Williams (b. 1815). The parents of Derreck Anthony Darden were Larry Darnell Darden (b. 1959) and Ruby Rhea Westbrook (b. 1961). The parents of Larry Darnell Darden were John Henry Darden (1917-1984) and Frances Otelia Worrell (1928-2020). The parents of my 3rd cousin Frances Otelia Worrell were James Harrison Freeman (b. 1904) and Hattie Warrell (1903-1942). The parents of Hattie Worrell were Ridley Worrell (b. 1874) and Lucy Alice Williams (1875-1964). The parents of my 1st cousin Lucy Alice Williams were John Burwell Williams (b. 1815) and Mary Williams (b. 1832). The parents of John Burwell Williams were my 6th-great-grandparents, Burwell Williams and Winifred Woodson-Bozeman (b. 1791).
By Timothy
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