Solange Knowles has written a heartfelt explanation of tweets she posted after a group of women threw food at her during a concert at the Orpheum Theatre in her hometown of New Orleans.

Last Friday, the singer took to social media to express her disappointment at her fellow attendees at the EDM Kraftwerk concert who used offensive language and threw a lime at her, to highlight the fear that many black people often feel in spaces largely dominated by white attendees. 

She posted: 

xView full post on X
xView full post on X

As a result, the mother-of-one received an onslaught of abuse on Twitter. 

The 30-year-old took her message further in an essay to explain the situation more clearly and the bigger picture relating to race and inequality around the world. 

In a piece for Saint Heron titled 'And Do You Below? I Do', the singer by penning examples of everyday racist situations black people face, described the situation at the concert and the language used by the older white women who pelted her with food.

In the second-person, she explained: 

'You hear women yell aggressively, 'Sit down now, you need to sit down right now' from the box behind you. You want to be considerate, however, they were not at all considerate with their tone, their choice of words, or the fact that you just walked in and seem to be enjoying yourself.'
'You feel something heavy hit you on the back of your shoulder, but consider that you are imagining things because well….certainly a stranger would not have the audacity.'
Solange Knowles | ELLE UKpinterest
Getty Images

She also wrote about her need to share the experience on social media saying:

'You're full of passion and shock, so you share this story on Twitter, hands shaking, because you actually want these women to face accountability in some kind of way. You know that you cannot speak to them without it escalating because they have no respect for you or your son, and this will only end badly for you and feel it's not worth getting the police involved.'

Finally, she lamented the media who have a 'hard time contextualizing black women and men as victims every day, even when it means losing their own lives.'

'You realize that you never called these women racists, but people will continuously put those words in your mouth.'
'What you did indeed say is, 'This is why many black people are uncomfortable being in predominately white spaces,' and you still stand true to that.'
solange knowles and husband elle ukpinterest
Getty Images

Since the post's publication, several Twitter users have praised the singer's honesty and shared their support for her timely words:

xView full post on X
xView full post on X

Everyone belongs. 

Headshot of Katie O'Malley
Katie O'Malley
Site Director

Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.