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Cowboy Carter Chronicles: New UH course uses Beyoncé’s album to explore forgotten black history

Houston’s rich black heritage spotlighted in new class

This cover image released by Parkwood/Columbia/Sony shows Act ll: Cowboy Carter by Beyonce. (Parkwood/Columbia/Sony via AP) (Uncredited)

The University of Houston is Beyoncé-ing history with a groundbreaking course that puts a new spin on the American West. The class uses Beyoncé‘s Cowboy Carter album to take students on a ride exploring the often-overlooked contributions of Black towns and the vital roles Black men and women played in shaping the frontier.


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In the Cowboy Carter Chronicles, Digital Producer Jyesha Johnson write a weekly series, delving into the significant Black history and cultural contributions highlighted in the course on the American West.


Bringing history to life

Dr. Alicia Odewale, from the Department of African-American Studies, is leading this one-of-a-kind ride through history. Dr. Odewale, who grew up in Tulsa’s historic Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street, shared how her upbringing deeply influenced the creation of the course.

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“Being raised around a lot of Black people and in this larger legacy of Black towns in Oklahoma and Texas, this is part of the legacy that we’re trying to continue with this course and celebrate,” she said.

Perfect timing

The idea for the class predates Cowboy Carter, but the Grammy-nominated album’s release and even Beyoncé‘s recent halftime performance during the Texans’ Christmas game brought a timely spotlight to the course.

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“Beyond the album, which is kind of a timely event, we were wanting to talk about these Black towns and Black heritage and Black cowboys all at once. It kind of just happened this way. You know, God has things in divine order to put all this in motion,” Odewale explained.

Music meets history

The course leverages the album as a cultural touchpoint to engage students with deeper historical narratives.

“There are millions of people who are just now aware of Black country artists because they’ve listened to the album. Now they’re listening to other artists featured on the album and leaning deeper into that world,” she said. The goal, she added, is to encourage students to explore historical pathways to Black freedom beyond the Juneteenth narrative. “Juneteenth is incredibly important, but it’s not the only way that Black people freed themselves,” Odewale noted.

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The course also highlights the rich Black heritage in and around Houston. “If you are getting a degree from the University of Houston, you should know something about Houston’s history and the towns that surround this place that we call home,” Odewale emphasized.

The powerful impact of representation

Growing up attending Black rodeos, Dr. Odewale said seeing Black people on horseback was a common sight for her, but she recognizes how impactful these images can be for others. “There are people all over the country, all over the world, who are just seeing these images and hearing these stories and hearing this music and seeing a whole world they’ve never seen before,” she said.

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A journey through culture and music

The course promises to blend culture, music, and history while giving students a unique perspective on Black history in the American West. As Dr. Odewale put it, the class offers “so many Black freedom stories that we have to dive into that have yet to be told.”

The ride through history is just beginning

Saddle up for the Cowboy Carter Chronicles! I’ll be sharing updates every week, diving into the powerful Black history that’s shaping this course!

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About the Author
Jyesha Johnson headshot

Jyesha Johnson, a Mississippi Delta girl who swapped small-town newsrooms for big-city screens at Houston’s KPRC 2, is all about telling stories—whether it’s on the web, social media, or over a good meal. When she’s not crafting content, you’ll find her outside soaking up nature or hunting down the best food spots.