There is so much about Beyonce’s rendition of the song Freedom that touches my very core. When my body responds naturally to the music and I experience the timbre of the voice she gives to the lyrics, I’m transported to a singular private experience that resonates as an anthem and a promise taking me to private places that I don’t often visit.
Freedom comes in many guises depending on who one is, what one’s experiences have been, and where one stands in one’s world. For me it’s not so much the words that we use to define freedom, it’s the voices of those who sing, speak, and write about freedom that make this abstract word concrete for me.
I’m sure all of us have had theme songs for the stages and trials of our lives. They give us the courage, strength, and conviction to push forward against all odds to achieve our goals, to reach for the stars, to overcome obstacles, and to do the impossible. Beyonce’s Freedom with Kendrick Lamar is that song for us now.
Gwen Dungy 