An English class at the University of Texas at San Antonio will explore Beyonce’s impact on Black feminism through her Lemonade album.
Helmed by professor Kinitra Brooks, she mentioned “Black Women, Beyonce & Popular Culture” will“examine the sociocultural issues that are most prominent in Black womanhood through Black feminist theory, literature, music, and film,” according to the course syllabus.
Brooks told Mic she created this semester’s course after Candice Benbow’s “Lemonade Syllabus” impressed her.
The Rutgers University professor’s project focuses on curating inspirational literature by Black women.
Describing her class, Brooks mentioned that the 40 college students hail from varied backgrounds. Black, Caribbean, white, Hispanic and South Asian women and men compose the group.
She said all have “a hunger and a willingness to learn more” about African-American feminism.
The class meets three times every week and Lemonade’s tracks separate the course timeline. Songs explored include “Formation,” “Hold Up,” and “Sorry,” according to the class syllabus.
Along with exploring pieces discussing influences on Beyoncé’s visual album, students are expected to read supplemental literature.
Whereas discussing “Hold Up” as an example, students will read articles about #BlackGirlMagic.
“I have students contacting me and asking me questions about so many things — especially Black feminism and theories of Black womanhood,” Brooks told campus magazine Sombrilla. “The course will be new, fun, and exciting. But I expect my students to come in hungry for knowledge and open to new theories about race and gender in popular culture.”
The class is not the first time a college supplied a Black feminism course based mostly on Beyonce.
In 2014, Kevin Allred of Rutgers launched a five-week course on the subject featuring the “Formation” singer and Billie Holiday.
