Beyoncé
Beyoncé in 2010, photo by kathclick/bigstock.com
Birth Name: Beyoncé Giselle Knowles
Place of Birth: Houston, Harris, Texas, U.S.
Date of Birth: September 4, 1981
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – Louisiana Creole, including African, French, Acadian/French-Canadian, as well as distant Irish, Breton, and Belgian Walloon, remote Penobscot First Nations
Beyoncé, also known as Harmonies by The Hive, Queen Bey or Queen B, Third Ward Trill, Sasha Fierce, and Beyoncé Knowles, is an American singer, songwriter, actress, director, and businessperson. She was a member of R&B girl group Destiny’s Child, along with Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams, and also, originally, LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson. As a solo artist, she has won the most Grammy Awards of any person, at 32, and has sold over 200 million records worldwide. Often exploring themes of feminism and womanism, her songs include “Crazy in Love,” “Baby Boy,” “Me, Myself and I,” “Check on It,” “Déjà Vu,” “Irreplaceable,” “Beautiful Liar,” “If I Were a Boy,” “Single Ladies,” “Halo,” “Run the World (Girls),” “Drunk in Love,” “Formation,” “Perfect Duet,” “Break My Soul,” “Cuff It,” “Texas Hold ‘Em,” and “II Most Wanted.” Beyoncé has starred in the films Carmen: A Hip Hopera, Austin Powers in Goldmember, The Fighting Temptations, The Pink Panther (2006), Dreamgirls, Cadillac Records, Obsessed (2009), Epic (2013), and Disney’s The Lion King (2019), the latter two in voice role. She co-directed her music films Life Is But a Dream, Lemonade, and Black Is King, which she also co-wrote; and directed and wrote her music films Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé and Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.
Beyoncé is the daughter of Tina Knowles (born Célestine Ann Beyoncé), a fashion designer, and Mathew C. Knowles, a businessperson and talent manager. Her sister is singer and actress Solange Knowles. They are the first sisters to have each had No. 1 albums. She is married to rapper and music producer Jay-Z, with whom she has three children, including singer and dancer Blue Ivy Carter. Beyoncé and Jay-Z are in a musical superduo together, The Carters. Beyoncé is a step-sister of actress Bianca Lawson. Her mother is married to Bianca’s father, actor Richard Lawson. Beyoncé founded management company Parkwood Entertainment.
Beyoncé’s father is African-American. Beyoncé’s maternal grandparents were French-speaking Louisiana Creoles, with roots in New Iberia; their ancestry was mostly African and French, including French ancestors who lived in Canada. Through her mother’s line, Beyoncé is a great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard, who led French-speaking Catholics from Nova Scotia, Canada to Louisiana in 1765. He was among the first 200 Acadians to arrive in Louisiana that year. She is also a descendant of French military officer Jean-Vincent d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin (born c. 1652 in Escout, France), and of his wife, Marie Mathilde Pidianske/Penobscot (born c. 1658), who was the daughter of Madockawando Abenaki, a chief of the Penobscot (Panawahpskek) people. Through Marie Mathilde, Beyoncé is of 1/1024 Indigenous descent. Beyoncé is also of approximately 1/32 Irish ancestry, and has distant Breton and Belgian Flemish roots on her mother’s side, the latter including her ancestor Albert de Cuir, from Hainaut Province, Wallonia. Her name, Beyoncé, is a tribute to her mother’s family name, Beyincé. Through her Broussard line, she is a third cousin of gospel singer and graphic artist Karen Showell.
Beyoncé has said that she has Nigerian ancestry. She may have discovered this through a DNA test.
Beyoncé’s parents Mathew and Tina, 2007, photo by bigstock.com
Beyoncé’s mother has also been described as having Cherokee and/or Choctaw Native American ancestry. It is not clear if this ancestry has been verified/documented. No Cherokee or Choctaw Native American ancestors appear on publicly available family trees of Beyoncé’s mother. One book biography, Crazy in Love: The Beyoncé Knowles Biography, also refers to Beyoncé’s mother having Spanish, Jewish, Chinese, and Indonesian ancestry. It is also not clear if this is accurate.
Beyoncé does not speak French or Spanish, but she has sung in Spanish before.
A picture of Beyoncé’s maternal grandparents can be seen here.
Beyoncé’s paternal grandfather was Matthew/Mathew Q. Knowles (the son of Taylor Knowles and Girlie/Gurlie/Gerlie Mae Miller). Matthew was born in Alabama. Taylor was the son of James Isaac Knowles and Sarah Elizabeth Dixon. Girlie was the daughter of Prophet Miller and Jane Hall.
Beyoncé’s paternal grandmother is Lou Helen Hogue (the daughter of Davis/Dave Hogue and Hester Moore). Lou was born in Alabama. Davis was the son of Jim Hogue and Rosetta Moore. Hester was the daughter of Pinkney Madison Moore and Arenia Goree.
Beyoncé’s maternal grandfather was Lumis/Lumas Albert Beyincé/Buyincé (the son of Alexandre/Alexon Beyincé/Buyincé and Mary Olevia). Lumis was born in Delcambre, Vermilion, Louisiana.
Beyoncé’s maternal grandmother was Agnès/Agnèz DeRouen/Deréon (the daughter of Eugène-Gustave DeRouen/Deréon/Derezen and Odelia/Odilia Broussard). Agnès was born in Louisiana, and was a prominent seamstress. Eugène-Gustave likely was the son of Eloi Jacques DeRouen. Odelia was the daughter of Éloi/Éloy-René Rosemond Broussard, who was white, of French descent, and of Celestine Joséphine Lessee/Lesse/Lesser/Lacy/Lacey/Lessassier, who was black/mixed-race black, and the daughter of a slave mother. Éloi and Joséphine had many children together, and possibly married. A picture of Beyoncé’s great-grandfather Eugène-Gustave can be seen here.
LOS ANGELES – FEB 10: Beyoncé arrives to the Grammy Awards on February 10, 2013 in Hollywood, CA photo by DFree/Bigstock.com
Sources: Genealogies of Beyoncé – http://www.geni.com
https://famouskin.com
Family histories of Beyoncé – https://www.hollywoodancestry.com
https://www.dailymail.co.uk
https://jack.canalplus.com
Family history of Beyoncé, by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak – http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Beyoncé’s paternal grandfather, Matthew/Mathew Q. Knowles, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Beyoncé’s paternal grandmother, Lou Helen Hogue, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Beyoncé’s maternal grandmother, Agnès/Agnèz DeRouen/Deréon, on 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Article about Beyoncé’s maternal great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Broussard – http://www.biographi.ca
im NATIVE AMERICAN, if shes mixed with native, and wants to claim it all of the sudden…then she should do something showing that she contributes to my culture, instead of just trying to glorify being native american, try living it!…but in the end black always sides with black,..i dont see her backing the native community.
Genetically: she’s mixed, black/creole, but mostly black.
Culturally: she CHOOSES to identify as black.
The physiology of outward appearance, from DNA, does not always accurately show the genetic make-up of mixture. e.g. Rachida and Kidada Jones, Quincy Jones’s daughters. In America, Black is a definition based upon looks, not culture, and it’s not always a compeletely accurate definition. It defaults to choosing a side or having society pick it for you (which seems to prevail)…and then when you choose or get assigned a racial side, it’s expected that you assume that particular culture…the one drop rule totally sucks. Culture and DNA are two diff. things.
I’m mixed black/white; my parents are still married after 41 years. I look like a mix of both of my parents. I am genetically and culturally biracial. To American society, I’m probably Black. But if I only get labeled that, then society is totally not getting the big picture of who I culturally am…and for those people who grow up 1 race, but have the culture of another…so what! DNA should not have ANYTHING to do with the culture that we choose or grow up knowing.
If Mexicans and other South Americans can be mixed genetically and culturally, then why can’t Americans? It’s all so sad and stupid; made to be more complicated than what’s actually true.
So Beyoncé, mixed although more of one group than the other, is culturally Black…ok. Yes, she does look like she’s mixed somewhere back in the past, and yes, she does look of African descent too.
Most people who have traits typically associated with another race have that race in them. So you can say you’re Black, but you could be 35% Black and 65% White genetically. That’s your choice, but you are defining Black as your culture; it’s obviously not your only race. But you can’t change or deny your DNA; please stop mis-speaking and saying Black people come in all colors; the “colors” come from the diverse browns of sub-saharan Africans OR being RACIALLY MIXED…you mean that people of all colors CAN be CULTURALLY Black…see? Not too many syllables to get it right…culturally Black.
And yes, race in America will always matter until people stop letting negative stereotypes prevail and start mixing with each other more. And when hierarchies in companies have more “other” non-white people at at the top. And when beauty magazines show an equal number of non-white people on the covers. And when prisons and crimes committed in America show racial percentages that are the same as demographic percentages in populations.
So there is a problem in the US, and it seems like White people here tend to say that there isn’t one. Black people here tend to want all mixed people who are part Black to only claim that. And it’s the mixed people who tend to say “accept me for who I am,” and yet still a percentage give up all together to say that they’re just Black.
Why Do You Guys Care What She Is Mixed With? If She’s Black, She Is Black. Most Biracials Tend To Identify With Their Black Side Anyway, So Just Call Her Black. I Even Identify With My Black Side, And My Mother Is Mexican And Asian. Stop Arguing About What She Is Mixed With Because She Calls Herself An Black Woman.
And Stop Assuming She Is White, Even Though She Is Not. Beyonce Even Said She Is Creole And Black, So White People Stop Making It Seem Like She White, Because Technically She Is Not.
I wouldn’t claim that she is white but she has some white ancestry. If she is creole she has mixed ancestry. She is a beautiful woman and all those ancestries contributed to make her what she is. She is mostly African American though.
She’s so gorgeous.
I’m white and consider her black as do my friends that have a crush on her too. I have read Beyonce even speak about being a black female role model to other black females.
So this non-sense needs to stop. She is black and there is nothing wrong with that. Black chicks are hott!
Justin, while your compliment of Beyonce is nice you and others need to except the fact that she still identifies to a certain extent with her creole roots and she has never denied this ! Your announcement that you are white and as far as your concerned you see her your way does not make it right! It’s not non-sense as far as I’m concerned about ones heritage hon! I’m not suggesting that you were trying to be harmful but this is not the early 1800’s where people of color are forced to identify at the hands of whites as being soley one race makeup! Please keep in mind there was a rule called the one drop rule that forced people of color to identify with one race even though their relatives may have been of other races! I am amazed in reading this board to see that people in this generation are carrying on an old tradition which was only formulated through racism!!! Now I will say this if we could live in a society where race was not an issue then topics like this would not be discussed and I wouldn’t care ! However I’m a strong believer that since we are forced to identify and race comes up in the Census ever 10 years, on job applications and various other forms we may have to fill out then we should be telling the truth about our background! All that I can say is that the group that seems to be having the biggest controversy are Blacks! Some 450 years later and we are still being told how to identify oneself! If you say to some African Americans that you know your identity and its a combination of more than one race their ready to argue! If you say to another group of people the same thing they are ready to slap a label on you saying oh well I see you this way!
NEVER SATISFIED! ‘Im serious this racist way of thinking has got to stop with everyone! I truly was taught to except people for who they say they are! I can’t say it enough if I tell you that I am part French, Amer-Indian and African then by golly just except it!!!!! Most of this commotion on this board doesn’t have to be! These people were kind enough to share their heritage with you and some of you just want to butcher it to your liking! THEIR NOT THE IGNORANT ONES YOU ARE ECSPECIALLY WHEN ITS BEEN PROVEN WHAT THEIR HERITAGE IS ! THE MOST INTERESTING THING IS THAT MANY OF THE BLACK CELEBS HAVE BACKGROUNDS THAT ARE WIDE SPREAD TRINI, CREOLE, JAMAINCAN, HAITIAN ETC. Will the next generation standup and stop sounding like ole slaves and slave masters of the past! GUESS WHAT FOLKS YOU’VE BEEN EMANCIPATED (FREED)! YOU CAN READ AND WRITE! MANY OF YOU SPECIFICALLY THOSE WHO ARE BLACK NEED TO GO AND RESEARCH YOUR OWN FAMILY I’M SURE IT WILL BE NO SECRET THAT YOU ARE NOT AND NEVER WILL BE 100 PERCENT anything! So you are the one who needs to change your way of thinking!
She’s black! Solange (her sister) tweeted recently about police officers in LA being agressive towards her just because she’s black so obviously they identify more so with being black. She is married to a black man and will have a beautiful black child. Get over it!!!!
And whether you choose to recognize it or not hon part of her roots is still creole! Have you not wondered the origin of her name????? Most of the time celebs will identify with who they are by the public wishes not what they truly are! And I still say that you sound like an ole slave who is forced to ignore what your genetic makeup is! You sound ridiculous saying she is 100 percent black when it can so easily be proven that at least 99.9 percent of us derive from mixed background! READ AND RESEARCH YOUR BACKGROUND! This is so easy to do! Why are you wasting time arguing on this board with people who have clearly done their homework in identifying their genetic makeup! Stop this nonsense please!