A Vanderbilt course focused on Beyoncé recently welcomed one special guest: the icon’s mother, Tina Knowles.
On Wednesday (Jan. 14), the 72-year-old matriarch virtually joined the class “Beyoncé: Epic Artist, Feminist Icon,” taught by Professors Michael Eric Dyson and Gilman Whiting, The Tennessean reported.
According to Whiting and Dyson, the course centers on Beyoncé’s music and its lasting legacy, exploring the history of her work and how it fits alongside other significant works. It also examines the superstar’s rise and cultural impact, situating her among iconic women performers while taking a closer look at her influence, status, and politics through her four most recent albums.
During her appearance, Knowles, who was born and raised in Galveston, shared insight into her upbringing in Texas, her own life and career, and the cultural legacy of her daughter’s music — including the history it engages with. She also spoke about Beyoncé’s latest studio album, “Cowboy Carter,” and how it reckons with Black culture’s often debated (and frequently erased) legacy in country music.
“We have a history there, and we have the right to enjoy and celebrate that music,” she said.
“And I think the biggest thing for me is that people got educated. I’m really happy that that album came out when it did. The timing was great before all of this erasure. I mean, erasure has been going on forever. But it’s really doubled down right now.”
Knowles also reflected on her own experiences living and thriving in Texas across different eras, including running her own beauty salon—a memory that visibly moved her.
“I’m getting emotional about it because it was more than just a business,” she said. “It was a way for us to network, to feel pride, to help each other, and I just have fond memories of that salon. … It was a place of healing.”
The course, which is one of a few devoted to the “Renaissance” artist, will also host additional guests in the future, including the “Formation” singer’s father, Mathew Knowles, and her longtime publicist, Yvette Noel-Schure.
