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
I’m 100 percent 3rd generation European. I get tired of reverse discrimination in America, all of which come from the Black, Asians and Indians. Accept who you are as a culture. Stop bleaching your skin, and wearing contacts while attempting to pull of “blue” eyes. Let’s get real. Love your self, your culture and your race. You are just as God Intended you to be.
Peace and harmony
Suma Joseph, Folsom CA
LOL, what the hell is a 3rd Generation European? Do people from German call themselves 1st Generation Europeans or Germans? You balk at non-Europeans discriminating against you yet you can’t cite any examples. Oh, and millions of White people bleach their skin, hair, and have non-European tattoos as well as engage in non-European traditions.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-smolenyak-smolenyak/a-peek-into-blue-ivy-cart_b_1200346.html
Lets talk American History. Most African Americans average around 12% European ancestry. Why? Slaves/Masters rape, sex voluntarily, interracial relationships, etc. An educated white people would never call one of these people “mixed”. You will never see them “claiming” a dark person who they don’t find attractive, when in reality, they might have the same amount of European ancestry as the light person they “ooo” and “ahh”. Let us also get another thing straight…. 1/3 of White Americans have black ancestry. And when compared to the population of African Americans, there are more whites living in america with black blood than there is blacks living with white blood. You don’t have to look black to have their DNA. Oh no, but they will never talk about this. They rather tell you how mixed you look. Next time when you look at a white person, try to see if they’re a part of that 1/3.
This is a misunderstanding. Yes, A.A. were sold to America for slavery by other Africans in Africa, yet not all Caucasian are mixed. The Caucasian who are “mixed” will geographically be located in the southern states where they were bought and sold as slaves. You will not see this percentage of mixed Europeans in the East and West Coast.
Peace and harmony
Suma Joseph, Folsom CA
you’re wrong suma. here’s proof.
https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/handle/1811/4532/V58N03_155.pdf
http://www.isteve.com/2002_how_white_are_blacks.htm
I agree with bluva and armando. If AA are mixed why do white people say certain ones are or aren’t black? I think people have the misconception that black=100%. You need to consider how the person views themselves! If i say i”m chinese, you cant tell me i”m japenese. Also it seems that black mixtures are never of another African country, they must be mixed with white, why?. This is the problem. Why do so many whites and blacks claim native American ancestry when it’s really white or black?
Whatever you are, you are. There’s no debating it. There are many different types of “black” people. It’s not just “black” and that’s it. Everyone on earth whether they admit it or not originates from Africa…and lots of “black” people think that’s all they are, it simply is not true. Beyonce ia AA, but other races, too. When white people say I am German and French, you don’t hear other whites getting “upset” and saying you’re just “white”, let people be what they are. It is not good or bad, it just is. I would encourage “blacks” who think they are just black to do some digging or take some ethnic DNA tests, and go from there, you will see. “Black” is not an ethnicity.
“When white people say I am German and French, you don’t hear other whites getting “upset” and saying you’re just “white”. This is a poor example. White people would not get mad because you can be French and German and still be white. I think black people get mad because every time one of them is famous or attractive people always bring up the mixed heritage even it is very far down the line. I’m pueri rican and my girl is black with creole ancestry but she is a black woman. So what if a ancestor from a long time ago was French, he parents are black, grandparents are black, etc. With black people, no one ever picks another African country, it is always, she must be mixed with white or Spanish. That’s what’s probably frustrating to them. Yes, I agree everyone is mixed down the line is some point, but don’t white people call themselves white, Hispanic or Asian consider themselves Hispanic or Asian regardless of distant different race ancestry. Why can’t black people?
you dont have to be full black to be proud of that your black…
Amen, Embrace who you are as a person. Afterall, color is just skin deep. In the end what matters is who you are a person. WWJD!