Solange Knowles has always been known for her otherworldly performances and music, but with “Almeda” she created an experience. In 2019 controversies about anything pertaining to black people were at its all-time high. Everything from our hair to the clothes on our backs was under scrutiny because of America’s outdated society. Knowles took this opportunity to use her art as a political tool to fight back against the prejudice towards her people. With a mix of classical and hip-hop, Solange produced an anthem for African Americans that elevates everything Black and brown.
“Almeda” can be a great example of how something can be simple and still greatly effective towards any movement or message. With Knowles repeatedly singing “Brown skin, brown face// Brown leather, brown sugar” as the song begins, the message is obvious. Combined with the beat that contains piano, but is primarily hip-hop, the urge to get up and move overwhelms you. Almost every line in the song uplifts African Americans with the lyrics beginning with either “black” or “brown”. Each line contains something about that blackness that was deemed shameful within society. For example, the lyric “Black skin, black braids// Black waves” highlights Black hair and the color of our skin. During 2019 laws had to be presented so Black hair could be accepted in professional workspaces and for Black Americans to receive equal treatment from police compared to their white counterparts.
Knowles also sheds light on the spiritual aspects of Blackness with the line “Black faith still can’t be washed away// Not even in that Florida water.” A spiritual religious tradition, such as Hoodoo, was created by enslaved African Americans and practiced in secret. With the white-washing of history Hoodoo was portrayed as an evil religion primarily because its worshippers were Black. Any faith originating from slavery is deemed as “evil” and “demonic”, but is simply a faith-based belief that doesn’t align with the religion Christianity. She uses this line to say that our faith will have longevity and not be cleansed away by the whitewashing of history. Especially with the “Florida water” line because that specific water is used in rituals to clean away “demonic entities.” This shows how “Almeda” is more than what the general population hears and was created for a specific audience.
The bow that ties this all together is the song being named after a small area in Solange’s hometown Houston, Texas. “Almeda” is still consistently blasted through every black speaker, especially during Black History Month. An anthem named after a primarily black area in a city whose Blackness shines brightly even in a predominately prejudiced state is a full-circle moment. “Almeda” is one of the many examples of how art can be used as a tool to empower and uplift.
