Beyoncé dropped a surprise single on the 155th celebration of Juneteenth, which marks the day that tens of thousands of African Americans in Texas were emancipated, two years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. 

Her song, titled Black Parade, is a celebration of both her Southern and African roots, and a tribute to all the Black people protesting against police brutality right now. 

She commemorates them with lyrics like “rubber bullets bouncing off me, made a picket sign off your picket fence, take it as a warning,” and “put your fists up in the air, show black love, need peace and reparations for my people.” 

In her Instagram promotion for the song, Beyoncé said the song “celebrates you, your voice and your joy, and will benefit Black-owned small businesses.” The link in her bio leads to her website, where she has a directory of Black owned businesses. 

The directory was created and curated by Zerina Akers, costume designer and founder of “Black Owned Everything.” The businesses are separated by category: beauty, home, fashion, lifestyle, restaurants and bars, art and design, wellness and health, and services. 

The tagline at the top of Beyoncé’s website reads “Being black is your activism. Black excellence is a form of protest. Black joy is your right.”

Earlier in the month, Beyoncé penned an open letter to Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron to bring charges against the three cops who murdered Breonna Taylor on March 13. 

In the letter, she criticized the Louisville Metro Police Department’s investigation into Taylor’s killing, which “left more questions than answers.” She also questioned the accuracy of an incident report that stated Taylor had no injuries, even though it is known that she was shot eight times. 

She then urged the Attorney General to “demonstrate the value of a Black woman’s life” by bringing criminal charges to the officers, committing to transparency in the investigation and investigating the response of Louisville to the shooting. 

Beyoncé knows her power and influence. Dropping this Black pride anthem on Juneteenth, while also encouraging people to buy from Black owned businesses was absolutely intentional and it’s likely that she’s far from done with her activism.