
In 2011 there were protests going on in Georgia, a country in the Middle East, against the Tbilisi president Mikheil Saakashvili. Like many middle eastern countries, Georgia was going through a revolution because they were not happy with the president. During an anti-government protest, police forces were called in to stop the protest. This protest led to many causalities on both sides and resulted in high tensions among the country. In response, Beyoncé released her music video for her new song Run The World, which embodies the transition from dictatorship to democracy. In this video, she uses many visual strategies to appeal to pathos and evoke a sense of inspiration in the audience, particularly, the use of the color black, which is extremely important to the visual motif in this video to represent power and leadership.

Throughout the video, the color black is used to represent the transition of power that the people in Georgia were being faced with. The opening scene in the music video is Beyoncé riding in on an all-black horse, who stands on its two hind legs in a victory pose. The purpose of this opening scene is to show how Beyoncé is a dark horse and that she is coming into power unexpectedly. During the revolution the people revolting against the government were never expected to do this, showing that they were a “black horse” in that time. Beyoncé is trying to reach audience members who were in Georgia at the time. Due to Beyoncé’s success, she can reach many different audiences.  Not only is she reaching the people of Georgia, she can reach a broad range of people in America as well; her main audience consists of African American. The people revolting were striving for victory, which makes this scene extremely relatable at the time of the Georgia revolution. The Georgian people had a strong desire to win and see a change within their country.  African American’s can relate to wanting to see a change in regards to the past when it comes to slavery. Following her arrival on the horse, she jumps on top of a black car wearing an all-black outfit. On the car, the word revolution is spray painted in big red letters. The point she was making is that the people of Georgia are on top of the revolution and want to see a change in their country, which exemplifies power and transition. Transition can be see through the horse and the car because these are both two objects that can travel forward. The point of the revolution was to move forward to a better life and receive equal rights. The audience can feel a sense of inspiration because no one wants to be oppressed by anyone, which makes this part extremely relatable to audience members. Even though most audience members are not from Georgia, this doesn’t mean others cannot relate to being oppressed.  She parallels this idea to African American, who can all relate to racism and being oppressed because of the color of their skin. Beyoncé uses inspiration to show that the people in Georgia and the African American community want to see a change. This desire to be free instills a strong sense of pathos in the audience, which is exactly what Beyoncé wanted to do in this video. 

Throughout the video Beyoncé is seen wearing less black clothes and more colorful ones. In one of the first scenes she is seen wearing a yellow outfit with black gloves and boots. She is shown as the leader of her group because she is seen in front of the pack of backup dancers who represent free thinking. The backup dancers behind her are seen wearing pops of color to illustrate that they are free thinkers. The use of non-black clothing items in this case shows how Beyoncé’s movement is being lead toward a more diverse thought process. In this scene she is leading the girls toward a freer thinking rather than being under a dictatorship. This symbolizes that the revolution is winning and the need for a leader starts to become un-needed. One can also say that as Beyoncé wears less black, she is showing the free thinking and diversity that the revolution is bringing. The African American community can relate to the idea of free thinking and diversity. Blacks have been persecuted for years because of the color of their skin. One scene in particular shows Beyoncé in a green outfit with black shorts that are barely visible. In this scene, Beyoncé is in front of a pack of girls in a triangle formation while facing policemen, who are seen wearing all black  in a straight line. This scene illustrates that the revolution has transitioned and succeeded. Throughout this video Beyoncé is seen as a solitary, leader figure who brings the revolution together, but the police are a group of people who believe in conformity. The revolution in this case demonstrates free thinking, while the police are a group of people who blindly follow the dictatorship regime. In this instance there are two separate types of power being represented; the power to inspire change and the power to conform. As a leader Beyoncé uses her transition of power to instill equal power among the revolution, while the police show they are one track thinkers. Audience members can see this transition through the color clothes Beyoncé chooses to wear. She moves forward with the revolution by passing on her power to the people who support her. The people in Georgia want the power to be passed on to a democracy so they can become free thinkers. Today many African Americans still feel mistreated, so by producing this video Beyoncé gives them a voice as well. She does this by relating the message of freedom in regards to the Georgian people, to the black community and how they have struggled with power and freedom. Both these groups were and are fighting for freedom and power. 

In the final scenes of the music video Beyoncé takes the badge off the police officer and places it on herself. After this she solutes the officers. This demonstrates the final transition of power from dictatorship to democracy. By taking the badge from the officer, it shows who has the power now. In society, police represent a group of people who stand for protection and safety. She uses this idea of the police force to embody the purpose behind the revolution, which was to strive for the safety. Beyoncé and her group have a new point of view, of freedom and diversity, In the end the Georgia revolution was successful and many changes were made to the government. After this final scene, the audience can see transition and power in the use of the color black. 

Throughout the music video Run The World by Beyoncé the color black can be seen as a visual motif to illustrate power and transition. Power in this can be shown through the different ideas of power, free thinking and diversity, while the police show conformity and narrow- mindedness. The theme of transition is demonstrated in the use of the images of the black horse and the black car. Beyoncé’s message reaches a multitude of audiences who feel like they have been oppressed at one point or another. In the case of this music video, the Georgian people and the African American community all have struggled with tyranny. She blends the ideas of freedom together so both audiences can relate to the music video.  Overall, Beyoncé’s video Run This World is successful in using appeals to pathos in using black as a visual motif to inspire the Georgian and African American people to strive for change. 

