This post is the first in the series Books and Beats Inspired by Beyoncé's Lemonade.
If you still can't stop talking about Lemonade, you're not alone. Beyoncé's latest album is a pop music masterpiece, packed with star-studded cameos; eclectic samples of poetry, historic speeches and home videos; killer fashion and powerful women. Want to learn more about some of those women? Read on.
Taking Flight is the true story of Michaela DePrince, an orphan of the war in Sierra Leone who is now a ballerina with the Dutch Ballet. Look a little closer and you might also recognize her from several of the dance sequences in Lemonade.
In We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie breaks down what it means to be a feminist in the 21st century and why we all - women, men, humans - should be feminists. Spoiler alert: it isn't about man-hating, it's about people-loving. The Beyoncé tie-in? Beyoncé actually quotes Adichie in her 2014 video for Flawless and Adichie's influence feels very much alive in Lemonade.
What Happened, Miss Simone? Nina Simone was a talented soul singer with a unique style and a beautiful voice. She was an activist for equality who found more commercial success in France than America because of the darkness of her skin. Though she remains incredibly influential, she is not as well known as her contemporaries. If you remember the woman featured on an album cover as "Love Drought" transitioned to "Sand Castles," that's Nina Simone.
Want more? Check out this list of activists, feminists and trailblazers.
Take a look at the rest of the posts in this series.
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