Dr. Solange Ashby holds a Ph.D. in Egyptology with a specialization in ancient Egyptian language and Nubian religion from the University of Chicago. Now, this Barnard professor wants to share her findings of the divine feminine with a larger audience, using Beyoncé’s “Black Is King” as a soundtrack.
The Harvard Museum of the Ancient East will present “Black Is Queen: The Divine Feminine in Kush,” on March 25, 2021, at 6:00 p.m. ET. It will be presented virtually, via a Zoom meeting, and pre-registration is required.
However, this isn’t just your ordinary scholarly presentation. Rather, according to the lecture’s official website, “Black Is King” — the modern classic visual album by Beyoncé — will be “interwoven into this presentation on Kushite queens to emphasize the power and centrality of the African queen mother in her royal family and kingdom.”
Beyoncé has long served as an inspiration for both rising young entrepreneurs and older people alike — but this is the first time that “Black Is King,” or any of her pop works, have been integrated into a scholarly lecture. Then again, given Beyoncé’s preferred subject matter — Black female empowerment, rising above adversity, and loving yourself — her integration into a scholarly lecture, especially a lecture about powerful women from African antiquity, isn’t surprising at all.
For more information on how to register for the course, click here.
