Beyonce took part in the annual Macy's Fourth of July celebrations
Posted on 07/14/2003 7:32:25 AM PDT by yankeedame
Last Updated: Monday, 14 July, 2003, 08:46 GMT 09:46 UK
Beyonce's 'grave dance' causes grief
Pop singer Beyonce Knowles should not have been allowed to perform a scantily-clad dance on the tomb of former United States President Ulysses S Grant, a historical group has said. The star danced in a "patently inappropriate" way on the steps to the tomb during a nationally-televised 4 July concert, according to Frank Scaturro, president of the Grant Monument Association.
The Destiny's Child chart-topper used "lascivious choreography" and her backing dancers were barely dressed, Mr Scaturro said in a letter to NBC, which filmed the performance.
Her latest single, Crazy In Love, is currently number one in the UK and US.
A certain decorum should have been observed from which popular entertainers are not exempt
Frank Scaturro Grant Monument Association And her album held onto the top spot in the UK on Sunday but was knocked off the summit in the US by Ashanti last week.
In his letter, Mr Scaturro wrote: "At that location, a certain decorum should have been observed from which popular entertainers are not exempt."
The letter also went to the Secretary of the Interior, Gale Norton, and National Park Service director Fran Mainella.
Watch Beyonce perform Crazy In Love on Top of the Pops Ulysses S Grant was a Civil War hero who became the 18th president, between 1869-77.
His tomb, erected as a national monument in 1897, is in New York. The concert was part of the annual Macy's Fourth of July celebrations.
Also performing were American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson plus Sheryl Crow and John Mellencamp.
'More thoughtful'
Ulysses Grant Dietz, the great-great-grandson of Ulysses S Grant, said he did not object to most live performances, as long as the tomb was looked after.
But organisers could have been more thoughtful, he added.
"If they're doing a Fourth of July celebration and they're doing it at a grave of a president, maybe they should look a little more closely at what the performances are."
NBC and Beyonce were not available for comment and a National Park Service spokesman did not want to comment because he had not seen the letter.
Christina Aguillera on the grave of Robert E. Lee...
What next?
But they're wrong. It's Grant and his wife Julia Dent Grant.
He and his wife are both buried in the tomb.
I don't know if you're black or not (I'm not, but my wife is), but Eowyn definitely has a point. Artificial hair styles continue to be a huge issue that divide black women. Hair like Beyonce's is definitely dyed and relaxed. In other words, she scalds her hair with a high-end lye to get the curl out. My mother-in-law is going bald at 55 after a lifetime of this deal. Afros are only one natural hair care option for blacks. Short hair, dreadlocks, and various kinds of braiding can all be done in a clean and healthy way.
I am black.
African-American women have been straightening their hair for as long as Caucasian-American women have putting curl into theirs.
A variety of procedures is used to accomplish this ... including the use of heat and/or chemicals.
None of my elderly female relatives is balding ... most African-American hair-care practicioners are well trained in how to provide a woman with the hairstyle she desires without risk to the hair or scalp.
Sort of like how most tanning products provide uv-protection to minimize the risk of skin cancer.
People have been modifying their looks since the dawn of history, and, no doubt, they will continue to.
From InfoPlease:
Ulysses Simpson Grant
Born: 4/27/1822
Birthplace: Point Pleasant, Ohio
Ulysses Simpson Grant was born (as Hiram Ulysses Grant) at Point Pleasant, Ohio, on April 27, 1822. He graduated from West Point in 1843 and served without particular distinction in the Mexican War. In 1848 he married Julia Dent. He resigned from the army in 1854, after warnings from his commanding officer about his drinking habits, and for the next six years held a wide variety of jobs in the Middle West.(Emphasis added so you wouldn't miss it)
You are obviously a dumb, sour Yankee (but wait...is that triply redundant?)
But they're wrong. It's Grant and his wife Julia Dent Grant.
He and his wife are both buried in the tomb.
Hmm...I thought I heard on Paul Harvey that no one is actually buried in Grant's Tomb. His body was never recovered.
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