Beyoncé’s tribute to the Black men slain at the hands of police and gun violence in ‘Lemonade,’ is probably the most profound moments of her HBO special in terms of current events.
In one of the visual album’s most poignant chapters, Beyoncé presents the mothers of some these men holding their sons’ portraits.
The mothers include Sybrina Fulton, mother of Trayvon Martin, Gwen Carr, mother of Eric Garner, and Lezley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown. The latter woman’s moment was most stirring due to the image of a single tear streaming down her face.
Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner’s Mothers Appear in Beyoncé’s ‘Lemonade’
In an interview with SiriusXM, McSpadden opened up about her meaningful cameo in Beyoncé’s short film.
“I tried to hold it together, but anytime I’m talking about my son – looking at the picture – I just think about all that’s gone and how he had so much ahead of him,” McSpadden said. “So I appreciate [Beyoncé] for being bold enough to confront things and be sensitive at the same time.”
McSpadden shared that Beyoncé made sure the mothers were at ease and both looked and felt special on camera.
Read An Excerpt from Michael Brown’s Mother’s New Book
“Months [after meeting Beyoncé] I got a call from her and her publicist and she asked me [to be in ‘Lemonade’] and I cried,” McSpadden said about meeting the “Formation” songstress and her offer to participate. “You know me? Out of all the people? You thought about me? I felt special. She had also did some things for my son’s foundation so at that point I said, ‘Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it.’”
McSpadden continues: “I got there and they wanted to make me look regal. That’s what [Beyoncé] called it. She’s just a sweet person and she’s really down to earth. She treated us well and she made sure we were comfortable.”
McSpadden is releasing a memoir titled ‘Tell The Truth and Shame The Devil.’ In it, she will speak about her own life experiences raising her son.
McSpadden’s interview will air on SiriusXM’s Stars channel 109, May 21st at 1PM ET.
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