It may sound a bit unbelievable, but Beyoncé's ‘Cowboy Carter’ has found its way to the Harvard School curriculum, where it is used to teach American history. The fact that Beyoncé's music is used to teach something other than music is bizarre in itself, and the American history of all the subjects makes it even more puzzling and unheard of. So, what seems to be in common between Queen Bey’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ and the history of America?

Apparently, there is a lot more common between the two than one would like to think, and this was first discovered by Ayushi Roy, an adjunct lecturer at Harvard Kennedy School who teaches students how to use digital technology to improve government services. The pop icon's album digs into something far beyond racial bias and uncovers the slow but significant erasure of an whole ethnicity from the country.

In addition to highlighting the historically underappreciated contributions of Black musicians to the development of country music, the pop sensation's 2024 album ‘Cowboy Carter’ offers Roy's students an unexpected but relevant framework for thinking about the real efficacy of governmental regulations. 

In order to revamp the course around Beyoncé's discography and the 'Cowboy Carter' album, Ayushi contacted Trey Walk, a historian who focuses on American politics and race. They both came up with "American Requiem: Beyoncé, Benefits and the Gap Between Promise and Delivery," which challenges students to delve deeply into the country's social safety net in order to understand how and why well-meaning intentions can fail. 

The connection between the two things still feels a bit vague, but Roy pinpoints the exact common thread between them.

The ignored voices became the bridge between music and academia

According to Ayushi Roy, Beyoncé depicts an America in which women's and other marginalized individuals' experiences were ignored in official records, just as the needs and viewpoints of recipients of government assistance programs like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are ignored in the planning and provision of services. 

It takes far more than new applications or fourth-generation AI chatbots in government offices to solve the fundamental issues so that those creating social safety net policies and those tasked with assisting individuals in need of support actually benefit. Maybe it takes inspiring music from a renowned artist to facilitate a shift that ultimately helps solve these problems. 

What do you think of Beyoncé's 'Cowboy Carter' being employed as a tool to teach American history? Share your thoughts.

Written by

Harshit Kumar

Edited by

Hriddhi Maitra