Beyoncé “Black is King ” film engages African creatives and locations.

Beyoncé’s latest film Black is King took its entire cast and crew to far off locations including South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, London and Belgium, parts of the film were also shot in New York and Los Angeles. The film is based on music from the Lion King The Gift. The film has attracted controversy with some praising the inclusion of African traditional themes ,while others have critiqued the lack of contemporary African settings.

The release of Black is King film coincides with global justice movement led by the Black Lives Matter ( BLM) , on colonization, slavery, racism and inequalities experienced by global black communities. Beyoncé cast all her three children in the visual album Blue, and two twins Rumi and Sir Carter The film celebrates black excellence, resilience , culture and traditions.

The COVID- Pandemic has created an awakening in the global black community and especially the black communities in United States have been disproportionately impacted negatively by the pandemic, resulting from inequalities and systemic racism in the society. There is new clamor for inclusion and diversity in various facets of the society. The blacks Communities are beginning to shift their focus to African continent to curate new content and narratives that resonate with the black communities in general.