If you're a big Beyoncé fan like me, you've probably learned a thing or two from the Queen. Namely, how to be a proud single lady and how to get revenge on a man who's done you wrong. Now, students at the University of Texas San Antonio get to learn even more from her -- this time in the classroom. Yes, they will actually get college credits for spending three days each week talking about Bey and her music.
The three-credit lesson, offered this fall, is an English course titled "Black Women, Beyoncé & Popular Culture." Students will delve into a semester-long analysis of Beyoncé's visual album "Lemonade" and how it relates to black feminism. The class is divided into sections based on the tracks on the album, starting with "Formation" and ending with "All Night" at the end of the semester.
Though this class may sound like a walk in the park for members of the BeyHive, Professor Kinitra Brooks, who designed the class and will also teach it, warned students not to take enrollment in the course with a grain of salt. According to the UTSA website, each week students will be assigned theoretical readings, literature and blog posts that correlate to African American studies.
Studying race, gender, class and pop culture theory is incredibly fun...and incredibly hard," Brooks explained in the syllabus. "Do an internal check for your maturity and ability to handle such a self-directed course. There is no shame in deciding you are not ready."
Clearly, students will come to class excited about Beyoncé. But they should also be ready to discuss some serious symbolism and exactly how the Queen's music relates to real-life issues and African American history.
OK, where do I sign up?