Solange Knowles
Knowles in 2011, Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Solange Piaget Knowles
Place of Birth: Houston, Harris, Texas, U.S.
Date of Birth: June 24, 1986
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – Louisiana Creole, including African, French, Acadian/French-Canadian, as well as distant Irish and Breton, remote Penobscot First Nations
Solange Knowles is an American actress, singer, songwriter, and model.
She is the daughter of Tina Knowles (born Célestine Ann Beyincé), a fashion designer, and Mathew C. Knowles, a businessperson and talent manager. She is the sister of actress and singer Beyoncé. They are the first sisters to have each had No. 1 albums. Solange is a step-sister of actress Bianca Lawson. Her mother is married to Bianca’s father, actor Richard Lawson. Solange is married to music video director Alan Ferguson. She has a son with her former husband Daniel Smith.
Solange’s father is African-American. Solange’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, Solange is a great-great-great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Acadian leader Joseph Broussard, and a descendant of Jean-Vincent d’Abbadie de Saint-Castin (born c. 1652), 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, Solange is of 1/1024 Indigenous descent. Solange is also of approximately 1/32 Irish ancestry, and has distant Breton roots on her mother’s side, as well. Her sister’s name, Beyoncé, is a tribute to their mother’s maiden name Beyincé. Through her Broussard line, she is a third cousin of gospel singer and graphic artist Karen Showell.
Solange’s sister Beyoncé has said that she has Nigerian ancestry. She may have discovered this through a DNA test.
Solange’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 Solange’s mother. One book biography of Solange’s sister, Crazy in Love: The Beyoncé Knowles Biography, also refers to their mother having Spanish, Jewish, Chinese, and Indonesian ancestry. It is also not clear if this is accurate.
A picture of Solange’s maternal grandparents can be seen here.
Solange’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.
Solange’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.
Solange’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.
Solange’s maternal grandmother was Agnès/Agnèz DeRouen/Deréon (the daughter of Eugène-Gustave DeRouen/Deréon/Derezen and Odelia/Odilia Broussard). Agnès was born in Decambre, 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 Solange’s great-grandfather Eugène-Gustave can be seen here.
Solange’s parents Mathew and Tina, 2007, photo by bigstock.com
Sources: Genealogies of Solange Knowles – http://www.geni.com
https://famouskin.com
Family history of Solange – https://www.hollywoodancestry.com
https://www.dailymail.co.uk
Family history of Solange, by Megan Smolenyak Smolenyak – http://www.huffingtonpost.com
Solange’s paternal grandfather, Matthew/Mathew Q. Knowles, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Solange’s paternal grandmother, Lou Helen Hogue, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Article about Solange’s maternal great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather, Joseph Broussard – http://www.biographi.ca
Solange’s maternal grandmother, Agnès/Agnèz DeRouen/Deréon, on 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Tanning is a social status for Whites. It has nothing to do with Black people. Michael Jackson used that as an excuse in an interview. Blacks and other Non-Whites are out of the equation. Up till the 1910’s if White individuals got tanned they would be deemed as peasants, manual laborers. That’s why White females in Europe, North America, South America and Oceania would wear a parasol or sun umbrella. Even men would avoid too much sunbathing during the 19th century, even though they had outdoor activities and visited beaches and lakes. During the 1920’s Coco Channel started divulging that free healthy girls should be tanned. The tanned look got stronger after the 70’s. It became a social status meaning that the White person had money and time for leisure, for beach time, pool time, sailing etc. Just like women dress for women instead of men, Whites tan for other Whites basically. Right after the Black plague during the Renaissance, being chubby was a sign of wealth, just like today being ripped, built or just athletic is a symbol of money and time, it means the person has money for organic food, a special diet and time for exercizing, besides the aesthetic appearance. It’s just a social symbol, that’s why many Whites refute that and admit their paleness, owning their pasty skin.
Every time a Black person says that Whites tan cuz they want to be Black, Whites laugh on the inside
A Black character who wants to look Caucasian in that movie ‘Dear White people’ also used the same cheap line Michael Jackson did. This sentence makes no sense. ”Oh Whites tan”
When Beyoncé has a nosejob, bleaches her skin and wears expensive blonde weaves she’s sending a bad message to Blacks and mixed people. It’s not healthy. It’s sad!
Her hair is straight afro kinky and from Africa, not a bit of mixture looking in the texture. It goes to show you that Beyonce must hate her hair texture because you never see the real thing. Then convincing other black women to wear these silly weaves. The worldwide non black people hate nappy hair and some do not think it is feminine, its a fact. But I think its pretty and thank goodness my boyfriend does too. I am proud of Solange for makking this type of stand. But I do not think Beyonce would be worldwide famous if she wore her hair like her sisters. SO sad when you think blacks in Africa , perm and relax their hair and bleach because of these brainless celebrities.
I’d hate to be the ugly sister, poor Solange. She’s quite strange looking, I don’t mean to sound cruel.
Any black celebrity can bleach thier skin amd wear weaves to appear more mixed these days.
Wldnt say she ugly ..but goofy looking haha! Um so basically this what beyoncé wld really look like WITHOUT the white powder makeup and the 22″blonde ugly weave! Its called the NATURAL STATE. B!
Her hair is very beautiful. And you’re right, the weave and extensions should stop. :)