A motif provides a background or main idea for the central idea of a reading and in many media outlets such as music videos, movies, video games, etc. Beyoncé is a modern day, R & B vocalist who uses motifs in her music video, “Formation”. There are three different time periods that form the motif throughout the video. These time periods are the early 2000s when Hurricane Katrina hit, before and after slaves were freed in 1865, and modern day.  Beyoncé develops her motif of time periods to explore the themes of feminism and blackness.

Feminism was a huge social issue in the early 1900s, also considered the first wave of feminism. This wave occurred in the 1830’s to the early 1900’s and focused on the opportunities available to women in regards to suffrage. The second wave of feminism occurred in the 1960’s to the 1980’s and focused on the workplace, sexuality, family and reproductive rights, and the third wave of feminism began in the 1990’s and is still occurring today. This wave focuses on the work done by previous waves and their goals. In the early 1900’s women were treated as if they were less than men and were seen as housewives instead of hard-workers. In one scene of the music video, Beyoncé and five other women are sitting in a room that is designed to resemble the 19th century. They are all sipping tea and wearing white corsets. The color of the corsets is very significant because white in this scene can symbolize the innocence of women as they are being treated unequally for just the simple fact that they are women. The idea of the corsets is very unique because they are binding the women, not just their bodies. Women were bound by laws, such as; not having the right to vote (women’s suffrage), during this time period and were seen as unequal when compared to men. This is proven during the time of The Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. It discussed the social, civil, and religious condition and rights of woman in Seneca Falls, New York. The convention was organized by two abolitionist women, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and was attended by over 200 women. The resolution of the convention was the 19th amendment, ensuring women the right to vote. 

The video then moves to a more modern day scene where Beyoncé is wearing all black, extravagant jewelry, flicking the camera off, standing in front of a plantation house, and she is surrounded by men dressed in nice, black suits. This scene shows a significance in freedom and women dominance as she is in the center of the men. The color black in this scene alludes to the power of black women by signifying their strength and authority. The line, “Okay ladies now let’s get in formation”, represents feminism in way that shows the unification of black women in tough times, specifically women’s suffrage and inequality.

Beyoncé is not only powered by her feminity, but also her blackness/ African heritage. Here recently, the battle between blacks and law enforcement has grown tremendously through the tragic events in Missouri, Charlotte, etc. In “Formation”, there are several scenes that represent “Black Lives Matter”, and black pride. The scene that shows the submerged house during Hurricane Katrina represents a much deeper meaning; it is a reminder that no matter what color or gender you are, music and tragic situations unite all people. Beyoncé started a charity called The Survivor Foundation, which provided aid for Hurricane Katrina victims and evacuees. The scene of the little boy in a black hoodie, dancing in front of police that are dressed in heavy riot armor is very powerful because it shows a contrast in the innocence of the child and the law enforcement. People are prone to feel more sympathy towards an innocent child who shouldn’t even know what violence is, compared to an adult, who is held responsible for their actions. The little boy then stops dancing and throws his hands in the air, the police then throw their hands in the air as well, representing the craving need for peace between authority and the African American race. In the background of this iconic scene the wall is covered in graffiti, the words displayed on the wall are, “stop shooting us”. This represents the past two years of ongoing violence in Ferguson, Missouri, Miami Gardens, Florida, and very recently, Charlotte, North Carolina. These riots consisted of the burning of the American flag, shootings of police officers and civilians, and violent marches held up and down city streets and they were all triggered by police force taking precautious measures in possibly life- threatening situations. 

As a whole, the music video portrays themes of feminism and blackness through each of the three time periods displayed. The scene from Hurricane Katrina presents the idea that all people are equal no matter what their gender is or the color of their skin and that all people are affected by tragic disasters. The scene from the 19th century depicts the way women were treated poorly and the fact that blacks may have been freed, but women were still suffering by bondage. The scenes that represent modern day blackness show how African Americans feel targeted by the police force because of recent situations and events that have taken place. Feminism and blackness share commonalities in a craving for equality between genders and different races.