Her latest album isn’t my cup of tea but seems to be good for a cigar bar or wine event where people mingle? So I’m recycling a previous blog. They won’t all be homeruns. Still love.
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Do you know someone that makes simple things complex? Well if not, pleased to meet you. I’m Phyllis G. Williams. Sit comfortably while visiting my wacky ideas about Solange’s album. “ A Seat at the table”
I like many people purchased Solange’s album “A Seat at the Table.” I listened to a few songs but my mind lingered more on the album’s title than anything. You ever had a question and you just had to have it answered. One question plagued my mind. Why did Solange choose the title “A Seat at the Table” for her album?
Did she desire to fit in with everyone or have a seat at the cool table? Nahhhh. Solange definitely isn’t eager to please others or blend in with the norm. I played with this idea for a few seconds then I imagined some of her beautifully unique fashion choices over the years. She definitely marches to the beat of her own drum. Shoot, I can imagine Solange with roller skates, a gold sparkly one piece, and an orange tutu doing one of those crazy skating tricks while drums linger in the background.
I repeated the title a few times to ignite my memory then I snapped my fingers. I got it. It’s because of Langston Hughes’ poem, I too. This poem was written in the 1920s. It’s basically about a desire for integration, patriotism, and basic human rights. Then, I recalled a few of Solange’s interviews. Nope. Solange is not groveling to be viewed as an equal.
I listened to the album while preparing for work determined to answer the question. Why did Solange choose the title “A Seat at the Table” for her album? After listening to her mother, father, and Master P on interludes, I realized the title is about intimate conversations. My best friend really drove the point home. It’s not just intimate conversations amongst family. This is an INVITATION for others to LISTEN of what is truly on our hearts. When you have a seat at the table, you become privy to touching information.
If company comes for dinner, you usually leave some parts out but Solange is letting her hair down like her album cover denotes. A Seat at the Table allows you to hear discussions of adoration for your culture, brutal honesty of personal hardships with heartbreak, and homage to earlier generations. These intimate conversations comes from family members born during different times.
Do you know what happens after people listen to other’s intimate conversations? They get on the phone (text, talk, or social media) and they say you won’t believe what I heard while visiting the Knowles family. Whether people agree or disagree, they are starting more conversations and inviting more people to sit at the table so they can tell their intimate story. Younger generations are asking older generations questions for guidance. People are accepting invitations to have a seat at the table to build a closer bond. Why did Solange choose the tile “A Seat at the Table” for her album? She knows that small and intimate conversations can have a big impact.
Onward and Upward,
Phyllis G. Williams
Speaker, Author, Workshop facilitator
