Student profile
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
February 3rd, 2013: the day my life changed forever. This was the day I first witnessed the queen herself perform live at the Superbowl Halftime Show, and it was the day I officially declared myself a Beyoncé fan. To date, I'm still a loyal member of the Beyhive. Apart from the great music, I love Beyoncé because her music resonates with me. Beyoncé taught me to be ambitious and strive for personal success, but with success comes a responsibility to uplift those around me - something I try to do in my political activism.
In the spirit of being a hardcore Beyoncé fan, it's only fitting that I represent my journey as an activist through my favorite Beyoncé albums.
I am...Sasha Fierce:
Beyonce created Sasha Fierce as an alter ego to tap into on stage. Similarly, I had to tap into my inner Sasha Fierce to run for election to the High School Democrats of America (HSDA) executive board. Making the decision to run for office was not easy. Though I came in knowing I could benefit the organization, realizing I would have to fight hard to win was difficult for me. However, I wanted to reach a position where I could affect significant change within the organization.
Lemonade
Lemonade represents the first time Beyoncé is explicitly political in her music, and showcases Beyoncé's vulnerability. In this album she demonstrates that you can recognize that you're hurt, but heal from it and become stronger.
Lemonade taught me that if I were truly committed to diversity in politics, I needed to take tangible action to fight for representation. As the only woman of color on the HSDA executive board, I had long touted my success as a win for diversity. I soon realized, however, that if I was the only one in such a position, I wasn't doing much for diversity.
This realization resulted in my mentoring younger women interested in running for office. As a scared, reluctant sophomore when I first ran, I'd always wished I had a mentor.
If I were to help young women run for office, I couldn't hide behind the image of the 'strong, confident, political woman' - connecting with them meant admitting I was scared, empathizing with them, and truly listening to them.
In the same way vulnerability allowed Beyoncé to reclaim her pain in Lemonade, I recognized vulnerability was my greatest strength - it allowed me to help other women through a journey I already navigated.
Homecoming: The Live Album
When Beyoncé performed at Coachella, it didn't matter to her if the mostly white audience didn't understand the significance of her performance spotlighting black college culture-at this point in her career, she said, she had a responsibility to spread her truth even if others didn't listen.
To me, spreading my truth has meant prioritizing institutional diversity in HSDA. Though I could mentor young women, I wanted to make sure my impact would last beyond my tenure. Thus, I established a caucus system where identity groups within the organization could commune. Establishing a caucus system not only meant creating spaces for marginalized communities, but also learning to listen and hand the mic to others within the organization.
Though, to others, a caucus system may not seem like much, to me, it meant everything. It meant people had a space to connect, discuss, and find community: something I'd longed for throughout my career as an activist. Though I didn't have an extensive set of resources when I got my start in the organization, it was fulfilling knowing that I helped build resources that I wished I'd had for young women and students of color within the organization.
Looking back, I see parallels between Beyoncé's evolution and my own as an activist. From a budding star to an unapologetic woman who prioritizes her narrative over superficial success, Beyoncé has inspired me to hold my truths firmly.