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
It’s not that Beyonce can’t express her heritage background it’s just that when most black girls say they have like a white,native american,Indian etc ancestor it’s called like self hate or they supposedly don’t like their black.Being light skinned does not mean you are mixed.My grandmother and has both mixed parents but that doesn’t make my mom mixed and that doesn’t make me mixed.While Beyonce does have black creole grandparents,However that doesn’t make beyonce creole(a descendants of black creoles actually) and i don’t think she should be considered mixed.
Actually it does make you mixed.If your granny is related to your mom and your related to your mom you are mixed.If B’s grandparents are creole that makes her creole.And she is mixed.Just sayin.Im black and only black.My grannys black so are my grandpas so that makes black.
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, that is the point in commenting my friend :). if you dislike it, please leave :)
I hardly ever look at celebrities and their races unless they make a big deal about it. In this case, I always saw Beyonce as over the top and always correcting people on the fact she is Native and french ( what she doesn’t even know the tribe she comes from? )
Is there any proof or documents her grandparents/great-grandparents were Native? But it’s probably irrelevant because Besides, her Creole ancestry/White is looking EXTREMELY SMALL, and very very distant, making her probably close to being 90-98%black and her daughter ivy being about 99%-1000% black.
Come on now, how are you people going to claim non-existent and not even worth mentioning blood to sound exotic?
I don’t understand this trend. Anyone who decides to do that should know you are A JOKE and will never be Native or whatever your low percentage is, and shouldn’t even consider yourself TO BE THAT. Beyonce is Black., and THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT. BUT SHE NEEDS TO STOP THIS “IM CREOLE ” STUFF BECAUSE CLEARLY HER BLOOD QUANTUM AND ANCESTRY IS FAR TO LOW TO EVER BE CLOSE TO BEING TRI-RACIAL OR BI-RACIAL. SHES 98% BLACK.
According to this, looks like she just has really distant white ancestry, ang again another celebrity who adds another race to their mix to appear Tri-racial, and therefore exotic.
Beyonce is also is very pro-African-american, which is nothing wrong with that and all the power to her, however, would a White or Native person who is proud their own race be treated with the same respect? probably not.
She also never mentions her creole roots/”native roots” unless it is for some type of benefits.praise, etc,
other then though times, she almost always refers to herself as black or African-american.
What I mean in my first and last statement is she is always praising otherwise if they are black and also says she is proud to be black( Please check last years superbowl after message she wrote that she said ‘ TODAY IS A PROUD DAY FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN”
This is available for anyone on the internet if they wish to see it.
Also, then she goes and corrects people who say she is black and that she is Creole (Native,French, and Black)
and shouldn’t be referred to as black (although she is 98% black)
ridiculous bullshit..she’s not even black she’s brown. Look at her mom
https://www.google.com/search?q=beyonce+knowles&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=lA5jUqvNNKOL4ASRpID4Bg&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1360&bih=705&dpr=1#q=beyonce+knowles+mother&tbm=isch
her dad is hardly 100% black too
http://www.ynaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/matthew-knowles.jpeg
She’s at most 60/70 % black
Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, that is the point in commenting my friend :). if you dislike it, please leave :)
I haven’t seen any evidence that Beyoncé has any Native ancestry (and I don’t believe most Creoles do).
However, her mother definitely has (caucasian) French ancestry. For example, Beyoncé’s great-great-great-grandmother, Therese Solange Marchesseau, was the daughter of French-Canadian parents. Another great-great-great-grandparent, Rosmond Broussard, was the son of a caucasian father of French descent, and of a French immigrant mother. And there are others.
http://worldconnect.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=PED&db=swla2010&id=I245665
Beyoncé is a descendant of Joseph Broussard, an Acadian leader.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Broussard
Thank you follers :) but when is Beyonce’s African American heritage come into her mother’s tree?
Thank you for pointing that out, as Beyonce does claim Native heritage and like you said, most do not and nothing supports she does.
It’s a little hard sometimes to tell when the black ancestry came into the trees, because Louisiana Creoles typically have French surnames.
However, one thing I could find is that Beyoncé’s great-great-grandfather, Eloi Broussard, was listed as “white” on the census, while his wife, Beyoncé’s great-great-grandmother, Josephine Lesser, was listed as “Black” or “Mulatto”, and then so was their daughter (Beyoncé’s great-grandmother Odilia Broussard). It is probably similar with other branches of Beyoncé’s mother’s tree.
http://www.afrigeneas.com/forum-fpoc/index.cgi/md/read/id/5121/
So even the french ancestry is very far back then, as I thought. She is probably about 80-90% or more black then, which is still very much/mostly African-American, and the French ancestry is not recent atall.
Thank you for finding that Follers.
So follers, by the way, where are you from?
The Western Hemisphere. :-)
@ leslie2
are you blind? she’s nowhere 80-90% black. She looks like a 50/50.
@ follers
choctaw in Europe? ahahah
50/50… LMAO.. please check your facts.. her french ancestry is hardly even recent.. please check follers link.
:)
Your entitled your opinion, as am I :).
leslie, she looks like a mulatto. That’s a fact. Condoleeza Rice was tested resulting 51% African, 40% Caucasian 9% Native/Asian.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condoleezza_Rice
@ follers
theres no such thing as Western Emisphere, but Northern or Southern
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jc50e02zDt8
BEYONCE AGAIN CLAIMING NATIVE ANCESTRY.
THE MEDIA/L’OREAL COMMERICAL REPORTING STILL AS BEING NATIVE MIXED AND CLOSE TO BE FRENCH, WHEN SHE IS NOT.
Okay point taken. But i was wondering what your first language is, and please do not say Cherokee :)
Why first language – is my English that bad?
Well, I’m starting to think Cherokee is your first language. LOL
No, I was born in Europe, so only my distant ancestors spoke Cherokee. There was a very large colony of Cherokee, maybe Cochtaw, where I’m from in Europe, and I’m convinced I have some ancestry from them.
First of all she is mixed her mother is creole & her father is Black. Creole is not black if you are from Louisiana where im from you’d know that… IM Creole & creole is NO WHERE NEAR BLACK. Its mixed with many different races. Just Because someone may have brown skin or dark skin doesn’t mean they’re black!! Black and white are NOT the only two races in the People. She is 50% creole & 50% black. That means she’s Mixed Duh common sense she only considers her self black because thats what people like you want to label her as. Its people like you that make it hard for mixed people to fit in. No one should have to pick ONE certain race if their mixed they’re mixed & theirs nothing wrong with being mixed, black, white, asian or any other race you are what you are. STOP labeling people with Brown skin Black because thats not true. Indians, native americans, hawaiians, and many other races have brown skin also it doesn’t mean they’re black though. I can’t stand Some of the mean & stupid people in America not everyone is either black or white. CREOLE is its Own race ITS NOT black or white. So stop calling it that!
Actually beyonce’d dad is from the bahamas…which could strangely make her half-bahamian..even though she never embrace the bahamian/caribbean culture.
Her father’s family is African-American, not Afro-Bahamian.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-smolenyak-smolenyak/a-peek-into-blue-ivy-cart_b_1200346.html
His parents are..look it up..But hey us Caribbean people are not trying to claim beyonce..because her connection is too far back to count..she will always be African American. But I just thought that was interesting fact though.
This picture must be after her most recent nose job.