Beyoncé Discusses the Importance of Diversity and Inclusion in Her Historic Vogue Cover Issue

Updated on Aug 8, 2018 at 10:00 AM

At only 36-years-old, Beyoncé is one of the most powerful singers in the music industry. She has sold over 100 million records, toured the world, performed to sold-out stadiums, and is the most nominated woman in Grammy history. As if all of her career accomplishments weren't impressive enough, the singer and mother of three just marked another milestone with her historic cover of Vogue's renowned September issue. In addition to receiving full creative control of the shoot, she hired 23-year-old Tyler Mitchell as her photographer, making him the first black photographer in history to shoot a cover for US Vogue. In the powerful issue, the singer opens up about everything from motherhood to her incredible journey as an artist and the importance of diversity and inclusion. See some of her best quotes ahead.

On how she's changed since her 20s: "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 hopes for her daughters: "It's important to me that they see themselves as CEOs, as bosses, and that they know they can write the script for their own lives — that they can speak their minds and they have no ceiling. They don't have to be a certain type or fit into a specific category. They don't have to be politically correct, as long as they're authentic, respectful, compassionate, and empathetic. They can explore any religion, fall in love with any race, and love who they want to love."
On her hopes for her son: "I want him to know that he can be strong and brave but that he can also be sensitive and kind. I want my son to have a high emotional IQ where he is free to be caring, truthful, and honest. It's everything a woman wants in a man, and yet we don't teach it to our boys"

On opening doors for other artists: "It's important to me that I help open doors for younger artists. There are so many cultural and societal barriers to entry that I like to do what I can to level the playing field, to present a different point of view for people who may feel like their voices don't matter."
On the importance of diversity: "If people in powerful positions continue to hire and cast only people who look like them, sound like them, come from the same neighborhoods they grew up in, they will never have a greater understanding of experiences different from their own. They will hire the same models, curate the same art, cast the same actors over and over again, and we will all lose. The beauty of social media is it's completely democratic. Everyone has a say. Everyone's voice counts, and everyone has a chance to paint the world from their own perspective."
On one of her most memorable moments from the On the Run II tour: "One of the most memorable moments for me on the On the Run II tour was the Berlin show at Olympiastadion, the site of the 1936 Olympics. This is a site that was used to promote the rhetoric of hate, racism, and divisiveness, and it is the place where Jesse Owens won four gold medals, destroying the myth of white supremacy. Less than 90 years later, two black people performed there to a packed, sold-out stadium. When Jay and I sang our final song, we saw everyone smiling, holding hands, kissing, and full of love. To see such human growth and connection — I live for those moments."