“The Grammy goes to…not Beyonce.”  The 59 annual Grammys took place over a week ago, but people are still talking about it like it was yesterday. As usual, the music performances take a backseat to gossip, and racism. It all started when soul bearing Adele came in like a storm and took the big awards: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, and Song of the Year. This should leave us on a happy note. But, Adele sang the wrong tune to some when she earned these awards over the Queen B (Beyonce).

Twitter and Facebook overflowed with people in an uproar with the idea that Adele took these awards from Beyonce. It was made to believe that this was a huge wrongdoing by the Grammys and some people cried, “Racism” Now could this be true? Are the Grammys really not handing out this gold masterpiece to a hand with darker skin for the above categories? Did Adele really have to apologize and take a note from Mean Girls by giving pieces of her trophy away just for winning these awards?

There is evidence of the side of the sayers of injustice. Aretha Franklin has won the Grammy for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance a number of times, but she never was even looked at for Album of the Year. She, like Beyonce, changed the way soul and R&B are looked at. She bared her soul like Adele. Is white skin the thing she lacks, keeping her empty handed?

Sister Sledge’s “We are Family” and Michael Jackson’s Off the Wall were robbed of the gold in the 80s. Prince, Whitney Houston, and Mary J Blige walked away hands free in the ‘90s. Can it be said that because a bone is given to the African American voices every five to ten years for the big categories that there is equality for all? It was 9 years ago when the last person that wasn’t a lighter skin tone–Herbie Hancock–won Album of the Year.  Now it’s at least ten years.  Are these snowflakes crying racism? Or are they seeing an injustice?

Beyonce created a work of art that even Adele said, “The way that you make me and my friends feel, the way you make my black friends feel, is empowering, and you make them stand up for themselves.”  Her album, Lemonade, wasn’t just words, but videos that screamed, “I am strong, hear me roar.” Adele did make a beautiful album. She put her heartbreak into song, and did an amazing job with 26.  Beyonce played bridesmaid, but even to Adele she was the true bride that night.  

The question that is on many people’s mind isn’t whether one was better than the other, but whether Beyonce and the others really a part of a club that has swiped our nation since slavery? We all know that music has hidden meaning and it seems that the awards that celebrate it do as well.