Beyonce -- Homage to Black Panthers During Super Bowl Performance
Beyonce Homage to Black Panthers During Super Bowl Performance
Beyonce made a stirring political statement during the Super Bowl halftime show, in what appears to be a tribute to the Black Panthers, a '60s group that advocated violence to correct racial injustice.
The singer was flanked by backup dancers who wore berets, similar to the berets worn by the group. They also raised their fists, symbolic of the Black Power movement.
At one point the dancers posed with a sign that read "Justice 4 Mario Woods," the man shot and killed by San Francisco cops.
The dancers on the field also formed an "X" on the field, which seemed symbolic of civil rights militant Malcolm X. Beyonce also had a strap on her chest in the form of an "X" -- but that looks like a homage to Michael Jackson's '93 Super Bowl show.
Tina Knowles posed with the dancers, fists raised high. It's not only a symbol of the Panthers, it's also a gesture used by Tommie Smith and John Carlos during the '68 Olympics.