It may not be obvious but Beyoncé's glorious prenatal photo shoots, or generally how she sports her round belly, created an impact so powerful — at least for her fellow black women. The "Formation" singer was not only highly lauded for her beautiful pregnancy; she was credited as well for changing how society thinks of a black woman bearing a child, hence subtly causing a positive impact on black maternal health.
On Feb. 1, Beyoncé revealed she and music producer Jay-Z are expecting twins and coincidentally, she announced it on the first day of Black History Month. When she announced her second pregnancy, numerous black women looked at her as an inspiration, said Vox.
A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Feb 1, 2017 at 10:39am PST
Black mama, Kelly Glass of Romper, even regarded Beyoncé as a normalizer of "the beauty of black motherhood." The beauty of Beyoncé's pregnancy transcended not only on the aesthetic level, as it helped deeply by changing the conversation regarding black pregnancy.
For most black women, pregnancy may not be the most honoring and fulfilling time of their lives. According to a study Time reported, black women tend to become unhappier during pregnancy.
The study found that most black mothers became more stressed, anxious and depressed compared to other racial and socioeconomic groups. Further, researchers found that it was not because of the children themselves, but because of the social strain that looms as soon as mothers give birth.
"Something about being a child of color, or having to raise a child of color, increases the risk [of being unhappy]," an expert told the publication. As Glass noted in her piece, the problem with black pregnancy is society often views it as a "burden and not a source of happiness."
For over 70 years, more black women died compared to white women while giving birth. Black babies were also more susceptible to infant death compared to their white counterparts because they were more likely to be born prematurely.
Black women were also less likely to breastfeeding. All these national health crises were born out of deprivation of adequate support and education for black women.
Inaugural Wearable Art Gala in support of WACO Theater Center A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on Apr 30, 2017 at 7:22pm PDT
One may wonder how the "Lemonade" singer actually helped in solving these maternal issues rampant among black people. In her majestically crafted photos, Beyoncé reaffirmed that pregnancy is beautiful and should be celebrated — that's how she helped boost the morale of black women during childbearing one picture at a time.
Beyoncé may not entirely solve all maternal health crises, but it helped that she gives a happiness bump to co-pregnant women. She reminded everyone that pregnancy is something to celebrate, even if one's skin color is black.
