Letting go of the past to build a new future – Reflections on American Requiem by Beyoncé
In March, our team was obsessed with Beyoncé’s new country album Cowboy Carter. I believe art is often a reflection of culture so I’ve been thinking a lot about the first song, American Requiem (listen here). In this song, Beyoncé reiterates what I think are important thoughts about change as she calls for us to stand together to change things up. Here are few things I’m reflecting on that I think are relevant within organizations and for those working towards social change:
The title is “American Requiem.” For those who don’t know, requiems are “a token of remembrance” or a musical ceremony for a person who has passed away. Has America died? No, but when I think about all the things that happened in 2020 alone, I would say we are definitely a different America. Our culture and our values have changed in a significant way – sometimes this brings feelings of loss and grief, especially when we’re not prepared for a transition.
“Nothing really ends” - To me, this sentiment is reflected throughout cultures – nothing is new under the sun. In physics, the law of conservation of mass says nothing can be destroyed. Beyoncé goes on to remind us that even when we want things to stay the same, we will have to change. Change is inevitable. When we’re not ready for change, we will resist it; this is a reminder that the things we’ve loved about the past don’t/won’t end. There will be a need to shift and change even when the effort is to maintain.
“There’s a lot of talkin’ going on” - It’s easy to talk about making change. I run into many groups who are able to have conversations and share ideas but get stuck when it comes to taking action. Some changes, such as becoming a trauma-informed organization or prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion, can be alarming or overwhelming which can lead to procrastination and confusion on how we actually make it happen. Beyoncé asks, “Together, can we stand?” To me this is a reminder that the work of social and system change cannot be done by one person or one organization– we all have to be willing and committed to taking our piece of the pie to make change happen. That way we can move from talkin’ to action.
“I am the one to cleanse me of my father's sins” - This line reminds of generational trauma and dysfunctional familial behaviors or the saying, “hurt people hurt people.” In change management, we often say, “culture eats strategy alive.” I’ve worked with a few organizations where in order to be functional, they had to reconcile with the history of their organization and the impact it has had on employees and/or the communities they serve. “The sins of our fathers” are not our fault– we inherit behaviors and beliefs from those who came before us. They are, however, our problems to face. I hope more folks become leaders willing to take on the problems from our past so we can move forward to build our desired future.
I’m positive Beyoncé was talking about the music industry and old ideas around musical genres, but I do believe these sentiments are relevant to any one doing change work. Change is inevitable but we have the option to shape the change we want to see in our lives and the world around us. If you’re interested in shaping change for yourself, with your team or organization, reach out to me or my colleagues at The Spark Mill – we’d love to work with you to make that happen.