For some of us in the black community, the black church is a right of passage. Personally, the church was a huge influence in my childhood. And it’s precisely that influence that has partly fueled my love of music-from gospel greats Malia Jackson to Shirley Caesar. So when Beyoncé put her stamp on “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” last night at the Grammys, I found the rendition refreshing and moving. Bey says this about her creative choice to use all male backup singers: “I wanted to find real men that have lived, have struggled, cried and have a light and a spirit about them,” She elaborates, “I felt like this is an opportunity to show the strength and vulnerability in black men.” The singer also adds, “My grandparents marched with Dr. King, and my father was part of the first generation of black men that attended an all-white school. My father has grown up with a lot of trauma from those experiences. I feel like now I can sing for his pain, I can sing for my grandparents’ pain. I can sing for some of the families that have lost their sons.” An unforgettable performance it was.
For some of us in the black community, the black church is a right of passage. Personally, the church was a huge influence in my childhood. And it’s precisely that influence that has partly fueled my love of music-from gospel greats Malia Jackson to Shirley Caesar. So when Beyoncé put her stamp on “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” last night at the Grammys, I found the rendition refreshing and moving. Bey says this about her creative choice to use all male backup singers: “I wanted to find real men that have lived, have struggled, cried and have a light and a spirit about them,” She elaborates, “I felt like this is an opportunity to show the strength and vulnerability in black men.” The singer also adds, “My grandparents marched with Dr. King, and my father was part of the first generation of black men that attended an all-white school. My father has grown up with a lot of trauma from those experiences. I feel like now I can sing for his pain, I can sing for my grandparents’ pain. I can sing for some of the families that have lost their sons.” An unforgettable performance it was.