Yesterday was Juneteenth, the annual holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. Said celebration has taken on even more weight than usual in recent months, as the Black Lives Matter movement and protests continue to push forward in the wake of a still-escalating list of Black people killed by American police. Among the celebrities calling for changes to America’s policing practices, and solutions to the wave of violence being propagated against Black Americans, Beyoncé’s voice has been among the most prominent. Thus the singer’s announcement yesterday of two different projects, both titled “Black Parade,” and celebrating the holiday: An initiative designed to help and support Black-owned businesses, and a new single, the proceeds from which have been earmarked to do the same.
The initiative, titled “Black Parade Route” on Beyoncé’s web site, is a directory of Black-owned small businesses, making it easier to find direct ways to support creators during trying (and also just, you know, regular) times. The single, meanwhile, is the artist’s first since the release of the Lion King soundtrack, with USA Today reporting that proceeds from the single will go to her BeyGOOD program’s Black Business Impact Fund. You can hear the new song right here: