“I come from a slave owner who fell in love with and married a slave” – Here are 5 Things to learn from Beyonce’s Vogue September 2018 Issue

Beyonce‘s cover of Vogue September 2018 issue has got the internet buzzing largely for the fact that the singer was given the creative reins to decide how the issue portrays her story, interview captions, and even photos. As expected, from photography by Tyler Mitchell to the elaborate headdresses and makeup, this issue is pure gold!

Click here for a look at the first cover.

For Vogue, the star singer bares it all as she talks about body acceptance, pregnancy, her legacy and more.

On being pregnant and body acceptance: “After the birth of my first child, I believed in the things society said about how my body should look. I put pressure on myself to lose all the baby weight in three months, and scheduled a small tour to assure I would do it… After the twins, I approached things very differently…I think it’s important for women and men to see and appreciate the beauty in their natural bodies. That’s why I stripped away the wigs and hair extensions and used little makeup for this shoot. To this day my arms, shoulders, breasts, and thighs are fuller.”

On her journey: “I look at the woman I was in my 20s and I see a young lady growing into confidence but intent on pleasing everyone around her. I now feel so much more beautiful, so much sexier, so much more interesting. And so much more powerful.”

On her legacy: “I’m in a place of gratitude right now. I am accepting of who I am. I will continue to explore every inch of my soul and every part of my artistry. I want to learn more, teach more, and live in full.”

On her ancestry: I come from a lineage of broken male-female relationships, abuse of power, and mistrust. Only when I saw that clearly was I able to resolve those conflicts in my own relationship. Connecting to the past and knowing our history makes us both bruised and beautiful.

I researched my ancestry recently and learned that I come from a slave owner who fell in love with and married a slave. I had to process that revelation over time. I questioned what it meant and tried to put it into perspective. I now believe it’s why God blessed me with my twins. Male and female energy was able to coexist and grow in my blood for the first time. I pray that I am able to break the generational curses in my family and that my children will have less complicated lives.

On freedom: I don’t like too much structure. I like to be free. I’m not alive unless I am creating something. I’m not happy if I’m not creating, if I’m not dreaming, if I’m not creating a dream and making it into something real. I’m not happy if I’m not improving, evolving, moving forward, inspiring, teaching, and learning.

Photo Credit: Tyler Mitchell for Vogue