Yale University to Launch Course on Beyoncé’s Impact on Black Radical Tradition and Culture

Yale University is stepping into formation with a new course dedicated to studying Beyoncé’s political and cultural impact. Set to launch this upcoming spring semester, the course, titled “Beyoncé Makes History: Black Radical Tradition History, Culture, Theory & Politics Through Music,” aims to explore Beyoncé’s influence on Black intellectual thought, activism, and culture.

As universities increasingly turn to pop culture to examine societal themes, Yale joins a growing number of institutions offering courses on celebrity cultural impact, following the likes of Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga. This course will dive deep into Beyoncé’s mid-career repertoire, beginning with her groundbreaking self-titled 2013 album through to her latest work, “Cowboy Carter.” Through the lens of these albums, students will investigate Beyoncé’s performance politics, concert films, and the broader societal conversations her art generates.

The course, led by writer and Black studies scholar Daphne Brooks, will utilize Beyoncé’s work to introduce students to Black feminist theory, philosophy, anthropology, art history, and musicology. Brooks, who co-founded Yale’s Black Sound & the Archive Working Group, brings significant expertise to the subject, having previously taught “Black Women and Popular Music Culture” at Princeton. She shared via email that developing a full course focused exclusively on Beyoncé has been a long-standing goal.

This innovative curriculum aims to equip students with a deeper understanding of Beyoncé’s contributions to Black culture and radical tradition, highlighting the singer’s role as an influential figure in today’s cultural and political landscape.