WASHINGTON — Beyonce Knowles-Carter is an international superstar. She is known worldwide for her voice, phenomenal dance moves and undeniable beauty. Due to her success, lasting marriage to rapper Jay-Z and her work as a humanitarian, Beyonce is seen by many as a worthy role model.
In 2013, Beyonce started an initiative to incite change all over the world. Unlike some celebrities’ foundations, Beyonce does not focus on only one area of need to impact. Like the ambitious person she is known for being, she is tackling many global issues that need to be addressed.
In May 2015, Beyonce visited Haiti on a mission. Since the catastrophic earthquake in Haiti in 2010, the country has had a hard time rebuilding. Despite receiving an influx of foreign aid directly after the earthquake, the country has had a hard time getting back on its feet due to the pre-existing impoverished communities, the lack of sufficient infrastructure, and poor housing conditions.
While in Haiti, Beyonce visited hospitals, gracing thousands of ill children with her presence. Her presence in the hospitals helped to bring the children an amount of solace and hope due to her recognizable worldwide persona. While showing her face and offering support to the sick Haitian children, Beyonce reassured them that hope was coming.
Beyonce’s BeyGood campaign is also concerned with keeping the Earth healthy. On April 22, America celebrated Earth Day. On that day, Beyonce encouraged her fans to “BeyGood to Mother Earth” by recycling old cellphones, taking public transit, not eating meat on Mondays, and enrolling in paper-less billing. All of these initiatives are aimed at keeping the Earth happy and healthy.
Beyonce’s BeyGood campaign also contributed to the #BringBackOurGirls campaign. In April 2014, nearly 300 schoolgirls were abducted by Boko Haram, an Islamic terrorist organization, in Nigeria. This abduction riled the attention of many Nigerian citizens which prompted a national protest. Initially, the Nigerian army claimed to have rescued the girls. However, when Western media began to give attention to the situation, they retracted their claims.
A part of the abduction had to do with the belief that the girls should not have been in school. The men of Boko Haram are firm believers in not educating women. Their stance created an international platform to discussing women and education. Due to her self-assigned feminist position, Beyonce took action.
Beyonce encouraged her fans to donate $10 to Chime for Change to support girls’ education, because Nigeria does not typically have a proper education outlet.
Beyonce’s BeyGood campaign to help others is not only meant as an initiative for herself, but for others who are in a position to help other people. Her campaign is creating ambassadors to not only change their communities, but change their world.
– Erin Logan
Sources: Beyonce.com, Billboard, Twitter, CNN
Photo: Beyonce.com