The Queen Has Spoken

Unfortunately, Beyoncé doesn’t seem to have Eugene in her sights and, if looking at the mostly male, mostly white lineups of Eugene’s biggest venues is any indication, they wouldn’t book her anyway. So to see Bey’s Lemonade tour, you’ll have to head north to Seattle.

On the night of April 23, the world was graced by Beyoncé’s Lemonade, her second full-length visual album. And people lost their goddamn minds. The album features 12 tracks paired with a dozen stunning videos. Serena Williams, Zendeya (singer) and Quvenzhané Wallis (actress) make cameo appearances, along with other beautiful, beastly women.

Bey worked with a team of artists to create a visual story that smashes through the mask of African-American assimilation. The album is a journey through political, social and personal tales geared towards, and made for, black women.

Police brutality is one of several layers highlighted in Bey’s masterpiece. Sybrina Fulton (mother of Trayvon Martin) and Lesley McSpadden (mother of Michael Brown) appear in the song “Forward.”

Pro-sex worker sentiments were laced (in black-and-white sheer lace, to be exact) in “6 Inch,” a song that supports the intelligent, relentlessly hard-working women who “grind from Monday to Friday” and “work from Friday to Sunday.”

The most spine-chilling aspects of Lemonade are not the catchy tunes and staring at Bey’s bewildering perfection, but the long overdue, in-depth focus on experiences that are solely unique to black women.

“The most disrespected person in America is the black woman,” rings the voice of Malcolm X (featured in “Don’t Hurt Yourself”). “The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.”

Beyoncé hits Seattle 7:30 pm Wednesday, May 18, at CenturyLink Field.

A Note From the Publisher

Dear Readers,

The last two years have been some of the hardest in Eugene Weekly’s 43 years. There were moments when keeping the paper alive felt uncertain. And yet, here we are — still publishing, still investigating, still showing up every week.

That’s because of you!

Not just because of financial support (though that matters enormously), but because of the emails, notes, conversations, encouragement and ideas you shared along the way. You reminded us why this paper exists and who it’s for.

Listening to readers has always been at the heart of Eugene Weekly. This year, that meant launching our popular weekly Activist Alert column, after many of you told us there was no single, reliable place to find information about rallies, meetings and ways to get involved. You asked. We responded.

We’ve also continued to deepen the coverage that sets Eugene Weekly apart, including our in-depth reporting on local real estate development through Bricks & Mortar — digging into what’s being built, who’s behind it and how those decisions shape our community.

And, of course, we’ve continued to bring you the stories and features many of you depend on: investigations and local government reporting, arts and culture coverage, sudoku and crossword puzzles, Savage Love, and our extensive community events calendar. We feature award-winning stories by University of Oregon student reporters getting real world journalism experience. All free. In print and online.

None of this happens by accident. It happens because readers step up and say: this matters.

As we head into a new year, please consider supporting Eugene Weekly if you’re able. Every dollar helps keep us digging, questioning, celebrating — and yes, occasionally annoying exactly the right people. We consider that a public service.

Thank you for standing with us!