Beyoncé har nyligen dragit igång Nordamerika-delen av “OTR2”-turnén och nu är det klart att hon pryder omslaget till septembernumret av amerikanska tidningen Vogue. Till den så kallade “cover storyn” fick Beyoncé full kontroll över det kreativa med text och bilder, vilket hon nyttjade med en “in her own words”-historia om familjen, musiken och värderingar. Utöver detta fick även den 23-årige fotografen Tyler Mitchell ta alla bilder, vilket gör honom den första fotografen med afroamerikansk bakgrund att plåta för magasinet, någonsin. Beyoncé skriver:

“Until there is a mosaic of perspectives coming from different ethnicities behind the lens, we will continue to have a narrow approach and view of what the world actually looks like. That is why I wanted to work with this brilliant 23-year-old photographer Tyler Mitchell.

When I first started, 21 years ago, I was told that it was hard for me to get onto covers of magazines because black people did not sell. Clearly that has been proven a myth. Not only is an African American on the cover of the most important month for Vogue, this is the first ever Vogue cover shot by an African American photographer.

It’s important to me that I help open doors for younger artists. There are so many cultural and societal barriers to entry that I like to do what I can to level the playing field, to present a different point of view for people who may feel like their voices don’t matter.”

Beyoncé beskriver vidare hur hon uppfostrar sina barn, nu med tvillingarna Sir och Rumi i familjen:

“My mother taught me the importance not just of being seen but of seeing myself. As the mother of two girls, it’s important to me that they see themselves too—in books, films, and on runways. It’s important to me that they see themselves as CEOs, as bosses, and that they know they can write the script for their own lives—that they can speak their minds and they have no ceiling. They don’t have to be a certain type or fit into a specific category. They don’t have to be politically correct, as long as they’re authentic, respectful, compassionate, and empathetic. They can explore any religion, fall in love with any race, and love who they want to love.”

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