Halloween isn't over until Beyoncé says so, and leave it to Queen Bey to go for gold — literally. Fresh off of her Toni Braxton costume, "Phoni Braxton," a nod to the R&B singer and a joke on the '90s sitcom Martin, she's honoring another piece of Black culture. On Thursday morning, Beyoncé uploaded a series of photos to her Instagram dressed as Olympic runner Florence Griffith Joyner — a.k.a. Flo Jo — who brought as much glamour to track and field as she did speed.
'Yonce recreated one of Flo Jo's costume she wore to compete during the 100m at the 1988 US Track and Field Olympic Trials in Indianapolis, Indiana which qualified Flo Jo for the 1988 Summer Olympics. It was a monumental race for her as she set the world record in the 100 and 200 meter race which still stand today. Flo Jo regularly ran (and won) races wearing asymmetrical one-leg tracksuits she designed herself, sported a long manicure compete with nail art, and let her hair hang loose around her face. The superstar perfected the look, recreating Joyner's asymmetrical race outfit right now to her manicure and red lipstick.
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Standing next to Beyoncé was Jay Z with his fist up, dressed as another Black sports icon: Olympic athlete and former American Football League wide receiver Tommie Smith. During the 1968 Summer Olympics, Smith took the podium to accept his gold medal for winning the 200-meter sprint in a controversial Black Power salute with his fist in the air; five decades before Colin Kaepernick, Smith used his platform to protest racism and systemic injustices Blacks faced.
In June, Jay Z was named the creative director for Puma, and earlier this month, the label announced its #ThirdSalute social media campaign to promote equality. When Smith protested, he was wearing Puma shoes, and the image is now one of the most iconic moments in sports history — and we stan a couple that uplifts the Black experience so consistently.