Beyoncé’s brand of empowerment for women isn’t perfect, but members of the Beyhive know she’s a good role model for young girls. Here’s why:
1. She encourages women not to settle for a man that is less than.
She shows how being single can be empowering.
2. She supports other women.
After the infamous MTV Video Music Awards in 2009 when Kanye West interrupted Taylor Swift’s speech after she received the award for Best Video of the Year, Beyoncé called Taylor on stage to finish her speech and allowed her to have her moment.
3. She is unapologetically black.
“I like my baby hair, with baby hair and afros,” she sings in her song “Formation.” The music video for “Formation” features significant events for African Americans, such as the emancipation of enslaved people, Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the Black Lives Matter movement.
4. She promotes positive body image.
Beyoncé has always been proud of her curves , but in her music video “Pretty Hurts” she explores negative body image issues that girls and young women struggle with, such as eating disorders and addiction to plastic surgery. “Perfection is a disease of a nation,” she sings.
5. She supports the LGBTQ community.
She supported the Supreme Court’s ruling for gay marriage by creating a remake of her 711 video, #LoveWins.
6. She has an amazing relationship with her daughter, Blue Ivy.
Her song “Blue” is dedicated to the love has she for Blue Ivy. Beyoncé’s Instagram is full of adorable videos and pictures of her and Blue.
7. She’s charitable.
Her organization, BeyGood, provides school supplies for underfunded schools an supports gender equality and environmental awareness.
8. She’s a feminist.
In her short film, “Yours and Mine,” she says, “I always considered myself a feminist, although I was always afraid of that word because people put so much on it, when honestly it’s very simple. It’s just a person that believes in equality for men and women.” In 2014, she dropped the f-bomb during the closing of MTV’s Video Music Awards with a giant “FEMINIST” sign shining behind her silhouette.
9. She’s a role model for the first children.
Michelle Obama has called Beyoncé the perfect role model for her two daughters, Sasha and Malia.
10. She’s relatable.
Beyoncé may be Queen B, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t human. Her latest album, “Lemonade,” gives listeners an intimate feel of the struggles she had in her relationship with Jay Z.