Lizzo Believes Black Women Have Been Dehumanized in America
Lizzo is calling America out on its poor treatment of Black women over the years.
The Detroit-born singer is addressing controversial matters in her cover story for Vanity Fair‘s November issue as she highlights her commitment to using her platform to reshape history. During the interview, the star touched on multiple topics that ranged from personal matters to political matters, drawing special attention to her words addressing the treatment of Black women.
Presenting our November cover star, @Lizzo.
Halfway to achieving EGOT status, the Emmy and Grammy winner sat down with Lisa Robinson for a frank conversation about internet criticism, the nuances of positivity, and the “love of [her] life.”
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— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) October 11, 2022
“The façade that ‘America, we’re all in this together.’ No, we’re not. Black people have been dehumanized so much—especially Black women.”
“I’d like to be an optimist, but I’m a chronically disappointed optimist,” Lizzo said in the interview.
“The way Black women have been treated in this country has made me feel very hopeless. I don’t think there was a time when [we] were treated fairly and with respect. If I see hope in this country, it will come from the accountability of the people who have the privilege. As a fat Black woman, this country has never gone forward; it’s stayed pretty much the same for me,” she continued.
The “Good as Hell” singer spoke about what it feels like to be a Black woman in the industry. She noted how racism has played a role in the hyper-sexualized, but masculine images forced on Black women.
“When it’s sexual, it’s mine,” she said.
“When it’s sexualized, someone is doing it to me or taking it from me. Black women are hyper-sexualized all the time, and masculinized simultaneously.”
”Because of the structure of racism, if you’re thinner and lighter, or your features are narrow, you’re closer to being a woman.”
According to Yahoo Entertainment, the singer shared that she feels hopeless as a result of the way Black women are treated in the United States. She said she believes that Black woman are the most neglected and marginalized group in the country, which inspires her to make self-love anthems for the women who look like her. The singer also revealed that she grew up feeling ”unappreciated” and ”unbeautiful.”
The internet has also accused Lizzo of making music for a white audience, a criticism she takes issue with: “It blows my mind when people say I’m not making music from a Black perspective—how could I not do that as a Black artist?”
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— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) October 11, 2022
“It’s about power and control. It’s about white male supremacy; it’s always been about white male supremacy in this country and the people who are complicit in helping uphold it—who are a lot of white women. The women who voted for Donald Trump,” she added.
