HuffPost reviewer Kim Lute hated Beyonce’s grammy performance of “Take My Hand, Precious Lord” so much I had to see for myself what the hullabaloo was all about. She writes:
…Beyoncé (as well as her much talked about cast of put-upon black men) fumble(d) and falter(ed) her way through Mahalia Jackson’s classic, “Precious Lord, Take My Hand”
@KimLute‘s criticism of Beyoncé’s performance is a bit extreme, but it’s completely clear that Beyoncé is no gospel singer. She lacks both range and the vocal ability to extend a note. In light of recent observations about racism permeating the Grammys, Lute’s next comment seems spot-on:
That the song is so closely associated with a film that captured man’s inhumanity to man, the misguided belief that what’s black is decidedly less than, and what is lighter is inherently better, worthier of praise and advancement, was given to a lighter singer over a darker one shows just how pervasive racial idolization remains in American culture.
The decision not to invite Selma soundtrack’s performer Ledisi to share her moving gospel version of “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” replete with soaring and crystal clear notes at this year’s Grammys, was very likely motivated by simple racism. “Ledisi, with a crown of enviable braids and beautiful dark skin,” doesn’t fit the image Grammy Awards’ management wishes to portray as the face of today’s music business.
In fact, choosing Beyoncé to perform the Selma theme without acknowledging Ledisi’s powerful rendition of the classic in any way, may have disingenuously encapsulated the philosophy of the 2015 Grammy Awards … in which lip service to the black community was paid with spotlight performances but black artists’ recognition failed to correspond with the place they enjoy in the minds and hearts of the worldwide marketplace. Disparagement may be a sign of old white men’s awareness that they’re on the cusp of losing control over lives they have become accustomed to dominate and exploit: after all, when American white men weren’t allowed to own black as slaves any longer, they formed sports leagues, entertainment companies … and institutions like the Grammys. Hip-Hop artist Brother Ali remarks, “White supremacy shapeshifts with the times … we don’t have to own black people’s bodies as long as we can own everything they create and produce.”
Perhaps in response to critics, Beyoncé released a documentary video with snippets from her performance and statements from the men who accompanied her on stage.
“I wanted to find real men that have lived, have struggled, cried, have a light and a spirit about them,” she said in the eight-minute video. “I felt like this is an opportunity to show the strength and vulnerability in Black men.”
Beyoncé’s argument is interesting, but her single performance is not the point. In 2014 Slate published a thoughtful article on the determined whitening of the awards parcelled out at the Grammys
I’m not as irritated by Macklemore as a lot of rap fans are, but the Grammys mirrored the troubling fact that, as my colleague Chris Molanphy first reported in Slate’s end-of-year Music Club, 2013 was the first year (in 55) that not a single song led by a black artist topped the Billboard singles charts. Aside from one win for Jay Z (for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration), that pattern held on Sunday night
And then we have Mr. Pharrell Williams. Pharrell’s unusual outfit and performance of Happy at the 2015 Grammys has drawn criticism from white America, who clearly didn’t understand his message. But I am wonderfully impressed with this young man’s courage to blatantly poke fun of our society’s determination to pigeonhole black people into caricatures of happy, carefree servants in the roles of bellhops, dancers and singers while ignoring the ominous and dangerous reality that people of color are forced to live in the ‘Hands Up Don’t Shoot’ world that is America, land of the free white people. It’s a good thing Pharrell’s message wasn’t transparently clear to white folk because if it were, I’m sure his performance would have been summarily blocked.
One final, evasive and politically linked question lurks around this issue just begging to be asked: What might be the role that ALEC plays in the progressive whitening of the Grammy Awards?
🙂
And my first wife was African American and my last wife was from Nigeria born and raised came to this country when she was 40 years old just in case you writing a book about my life!!! The amount of focus your putting on me I would have to say you’re pretty miserable in your own life!!! The things you said in your post that you say I say about black and brown people that they should stop bellyaching and looking at things from a white peoples point of view!!! You can check every entry I have ever made & you will not see nothing like that ever came from me!!! Please go back in my history can show me where I said such things or even implied such things!!! Until you have proof of that please stop making up lies about me!!! You’re making yourself look pretty pathetic!!! But I will say this you’re doing a very good job at it!!!
No I actually thought of you as an attractive intelligent young lady!!! And you have definitely just prove me wrong on all counts!!! I’ve been married three times and only 1 of them was caucasian and that was my daughters mother I assume you got a headache trying to figure that one out!!! Out of respect to my daughter I’ll leave her mother out of this conversation but only just to say I would never marry a white woman again!!!
But anyway, is what you say true? You liked me when we were kids, maybe because you thought of me as white. You married a white lady from what I can tell. You always defend white people whenever you think they’re getting attacked. You always say black and brown people should stop bellyaching and look at things from white peoples’ point of view …
Oh, I should have said bigoted. My bad.
I love everybody!!! I love GOD’S people!!! I really don’t give a f*** what color you are!!! If that makes me in your eyes to be a cracker lover May I have some Velveeta??? LOL
I think you’re probably more racist than most people Charlie. You seem to blindly love white people so much.
Sister’s LMAO!!!
Why are we still going through this I know who you are and I know what you are at the ages of 14 and 15 I was at your house almost every day if you and I walked into Macy’s they would watch me and not you!!! Caucasian is your skin complexion not who you are!!! You are a human being just like me and everyone else!!! Please continue to amuse me and we won’t have any problems the day I find what you say unamusing that day will have a serious talk until then fire away!!! LOL XOXOXOXOXO
It’s not about looks. Remember Yvette Lucas? She and I could be sisters, we look so much alike. But she’s just as black as you are.
Why are we going through this I know who you are I know what you are!!! At the ages of 14/ 15 I was at your house almost everyday had dinner with your family I don’t know how many times!!! Anyone who doesn’t know your background would look at you and say there’s a white girl. If you and I were to walk into Macys and went separate ways guess who would be watched in the store. I see you the same as I see everybody else a human being who just so happens to be Caucasian or as you call it a Chinese Jew!!!
See what I mean Charles Peller? I’m Chinese and Jewish, but you like Caucasians so that’s how you see me.
LOL!!!
I’m gonna stop coming over here if you two can’t play nicer. 🙂
There you go throwing daggers again!!! I am concerned with the human race!!! In my statements and in my actions if that’s what you see that is your problem not mine!!! In fact that sounds quite funny coming from a Caucasian!!! To say such a thing about me And you yourself not being a person of color!!! as you so nicely put it!!! Actually you amuses me!!!
Kim – You’re welcome, and you be a little nicer to Charlie. There are not as many of us left from the day, and our numbers seemingly decrease on a daily basis. xo GH
Thanks Gary Harris.
IDK Charles Peller. I wish you were 25% as concerned with the fate of people of color as you are about the feelings of white people.
Thanks, Charlie.
Very well said!!! Gary Harris!!
Since I’ve never been a white man, I can’t say whether they view managing the Grammy voting as a right or not. But because I have spent significant time working in corporately run record companies that were managed by whites, I can tell you this: appreciation of culture is subjective. The people who make decisions about what gets financed, recorded, filmed, marketed, promoted, distributed and bought are not always in step with the consumer or the artist communities. The entertainment business is no different than the rest of society. White men are largely responsible for setting policy in the areas of technology, economics, legislation, education, criminal justice, reproductive rights, labor, the ecology and just about anything else you can think of. There has always been a struggle for practitioners of Black art forms to get their due because the people who set the cultural agenda, in general, are not really prepared to appreciate the dynamics that exist to make Black art and artists important, and they are poorly prepared (in many cases) to understand the work of important white artists too. The Rolling Stones have never won a Grammy, and Marvin Gaye only won once.
I see divide and conquer written all over this!!!
I think this is being blown way out of proportion if anything maybe they learned a lesson!!! Where it says in the post that young lady who sang the song in the movie does not fit the image of today’s music I think a lie they have makeup people to make her look like whatever they want make her look like any image they want!!! To say it’s race related at all in my opinion is
ridiculous.
Gary Harris I’m so interested in your thoughts on my post