UTSA Offers a Course on the Popular Beyoncé Album “Lemonade”

The University of Texas San Antonio is now offering an accredited course in which students can explore Beyoncé’s visual album Lemonade; the course will be mainly focused on black womanhood, feminism, Beyoncé, and pop culture through the interpretations of the album. Professor Kinitra Brooks who is an Assistant Professor of African American and Afro-Caribbean literature at a University of Texas and has a specialization in “Black Feminist Theory,” “Black Women in Horror, Science Fiction and Fantasy,” “Black Women in Popular Culture,” 20th-Century African American and Afro-Caribbean literature, and Black Speculative Studies and Afro-futurism, will be teaching the thrice-weekly class.

The course description of the class states:“We will use Lemonade as a starting point to examine the sociocultural issues that are most prominent in black womanhood through black feminist theory, literature, music, and film.” Professor Brooks is letting it known that students won’t just get an easy A for listening to Beyoncé every few weeks; Brooks is expecting students to come prepared to discuss theories about race and genders that can be applied to each song on the Lemonade track list. Students will also be given essays and quizzes in addition to the vibrant classroom discussions. This course is not just about the music, but how the music ties to social theories, especially pertaining to the black community.

This course study comes as no surprise; for the past ten years Beyoncé has steadily taken over the pop culture industry through music and films. She is a known philanthropist, she’s won many awards, and has become a role model to many young women and men. Beyoncé is constantly promoting black culture and feminism in her songs, so it comes as no surprise that a professor whom specializes in both of these areas would want to take a more in-depth look at the prominent album that is Lemonade. Although Beyoncé has not yet responded to this news, we can’t help but think of the pride she must feel, especially coming from her home state of Texas.

This is an outline of the syllabus:

From Aug. 29 to Sept. 9: focus will be on “Formation;” study will then move to “Pray You Catch Me”

Sept. 12 to Sept. 16: “Hold Up”

Sept. 19 to Sep. 30: “Don’t Hurt Yourself”

Oct. 3 to Oct. 7: “Sorry”

Oct. 10 to Oct. 14: “6 Inch”

Oct. 17 to Oct. 21: “Daddy Lessons”

Oct. 24 to Oct. 28: “Love Drought”

Oct. 31 to Nov. 11: “Sandcastles/Forward”

Nov. 14 to Nov. 18: “Freedom”

Nov. 21 to Nov. 25): “All Night”

Visit the University of Texas San Antonio website (https://www.utsa.edu/) for more information about the course and to view the entire syllabus.