The performance concluded with many black hands greeting Beyoncé as she smiled into the camera like a black Mona Lisa. It was not just the smile of a satisfied performer, but the smile of someone who knew she had just won. When the Grammy for album of the year was awarded to Adele, I was surprised that so many people were disappointed. Work that gets funding and support is often work that caters to a white audience. “Lemonade” did not translate black womanhood for a white audience.

Source: New York Times February 14, 2017 23:48 UTC