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"A Recipe for Black Girl Magic: A Critical Study of the Mise-en-Scene i" by Tatiyana Jenkins

Lemonade, a visual album released by pop icon Beyoncé Knowles Carter in 2016, crafts a mise-en-scene that redefines the way that black women are allowed to feel and exist in media culture. Contrary to the negative stereotypes and misrepresentations perpetuated in media, Lemonade is a radical attempt to provide audiences with an alternative representation of the experiences of black women. For this honors project, I address the controversy surrounding the visual album’s radical representations of black womanhood. To inform my understanding of the visual album I examine the various creative contributions such as the film Daughters of the Dust directed by Julie Dash, poetry by Warsan Shire, and various musical scores. Additionally, I apply the black feminist perspectives of Patricia Hill Collins, Bell Hooks, Norma Mantu and Audre Lorde to support my arguments.