Beyoncé Opens Up About Raising A Black Son: ‘I Want to Create Better Representations For Him’

In the September issue of Vogue, Beyoncé is opening up like never before about her career, her plans for the future and her life as a superstar mother of three.

In the intimate and rare interview, Mrs. Carter opens up about life with her twins, Rumi and Sir, her own feelings about male-female relationship dynamics, and for the first time, her thoughts on raising a young Black boy.

“I hope to teach my son not to fall victim to what the internet says he should be or how he should love,” the 36-year-old poignantly expressed of her desires for Sir. “I want to create better representations for him so he is allowed to reach his full potential as a man, and to teach him that the real magic he possesses in the world is the power to affirm his own existence.”

Beyoncé announced her pregnancy with the twins in February 2017 with a record-breaking Instagram post. She confirmed their June birth the following month in similar fashion with a beautiful photo showing their faces for the first time.

Since giving birth, the mom of three has come to have a better understanding of what her own mother taught her about raising children.

“My mother taught me the importance not just of being seen but of seeing myself,” she continued. “As the mother of two girls, it’s important to me that they see themselves too—in books, films, and on runways. 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.”

The Houston native added, “I want the same things for my 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 the heels of bringing she and husband’s joint On The Run II world tour to the States, Beyoncé shared that carrying the twins and learning of her own familial heritage has further shaped her thoughts on lineage and existence.

“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.”