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Yale University is launching a new course devoted entirely to the influence of Beyoncé.
CULTURE – The prestigious Yale University, UNITED STATESannounced the launch of a new course entirely dedicated to the iconic singer Beyoncé. This course, entitled “Beyoncé makes history: history, culture, theory and politics of the black radical tradition through music”will begin next semester, in spring 2025, explains Daphne Brooks, professor of African-American studies and music, to the Yale Daily News in an article published Friday, November 8.
This course will provide students with the opportunity to explore Beyoncé’s work over a period of eleven years, from his eponymous album in 2013 to his latest project, Cowboy Carter. 2013 was indeed a major turning point in Beyoncé’s career, explained Daphne Brooks to Yale Daily News, emphasizing that that year, the singer affirmed her beliefs in black feminism, notably with the song Flawles.
This piece, where we hear an extract from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s speech, marked a turning point for a pop star, integrating the thought of a black feminist on the world stage.
Studying “Queen B” Songs, Clothes, and Performances
Daphne Brooks also highlights the importance of recognizing Beyoncé’s contributions to American culture, popular culture, and global culture, particularly in the context of re-election of Donald Trump. “Its impact is monumental and deserves in-depth study”she said.
The course will focus on the analysis of Beyoncé’s artistic creations, studying her music, her clothing choices, as well as her stage performances. These elements will be deciphered to understand their political and cultural significance.
Finally, this course follows a previous course that Daphne Brooks had taught at Princeton, entitled “Black Women in Popular Music Culture”. “These courses always attracted a large number of students”explains the teacher. “The energy around Beyoncé was palpable, and given that the course covered a period from the 19th century to today, I thought it was important to center the study of her work within a specific educational framework.”
This is not the first time that a major academic institution has devoted a course to Beyoncé. In 2010, Rutgers University was a pioneer by launching a module on politics and Beyoncé. Since then, several other American universities have followed, such as the University of Illinois, which developed a course on the singer’s influence in the feminist movement.
In Europe, Beyoncé also inspires academic circles. The University of Copenhagen and the École Normale Supérieure (ENS) in France also offer courses on one of the most nominated artists in the history of the Grammy Awards.
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