Beyoncé made it into the top 20 on my 2024 Spotify Wrapped Top Songs list for the first time in years. Daughter, the 11th track on her album Cowboy Carter, was my song on repeat for most of the summer.
Her blend of Western and opera, nestled in a country album produced by the queen of pop herself, felt groundbreaking. The first time I listened to her 2024 album, chills ran up my spine because of how familiar these songs felt. My family’s stories about our ancestors’ freedom echoed in these songs, reminding me of my roots in Oklahoma.
That’s why I cried when Dr. Alicia Odewale discussed a class she is teaching in 2025 at the University of Houston on Cowboy Carter. Here I was, talking with someone who also saw the groundbreaking impact Beyoncé could have on piecing together unsung Black histories.
Dr. Odewale uses this album as a springboard to educate students on the often-erased narratives of Black resilience and freedom in the American West.
The professor and her mission
Dr. Odewale, a professor of practice in African American Studies, is redefining how students explore Black history at the University of Houston. Known for her groundbreaking work as an African diaspora archaeologist, she uncovers material culture left behind by ancestors and weaves powerful stories of humanity and resilience. A native of Tulsa, she grew up steeped in the history of the Greenwood District and the legacy of Oklahoma’s Black towns and freedom.
“Across the African diaspora, we have been leaving things behind for our descendants to find for a long time,” she said. “I’m all about finding those pieces of left-behind history.”
One of her most impactful discoveries was a child’s tea set from the era of slavery, found in St. Croix, Virgin Islands. Odewale said it highlights the presence of children in the Caribbean during that time and their inclusion in the broader history of the African diaspora.
“I love finding things like this because it reaffirms their humanity and reaffirms that there were families here,” she said. “It makes me think about all the things my own kids leave behind.”
The mission of her Cowboy Carter class is to highlight the contributions of Black people in the American West, particularly in the context of Black towns, Black cowboys, and Black country music.
Odewale aims to challenge the traditional narrative of the American West, which often erases the presence of Black people, and illuminate the many pathways to Black freedom beyond the mainstream Juneteenth story.
“There are so many pathways to Black freedom that don’t get talked about, and we want to ensure we cover them in this class,” she said. “Beyoncé is a sort of entry point into the story of all the different pathways to Black freedom.”
Teaching Black history at Univ. of Houston through Cowboy Carter
Dr. Odewale’s Spring 2025 class, Before Cowboy Carter: Black Towns, Black Freedom, exemplifies her innovative approach to education. Using Beyoncé’s latest album as a foundation, the course bridges the history of Black towns, cowboys, and the American West with music that underscores the Black experience.
“This class allows me and my students to think more expansively about Black influences in the world—where they show up, where they manifest,” said Odewale.
The curriculum explores topics often overshadowed by dominant Western narratives, from Black cowboys to the cultural erasure faced by African Americans in the West. Beyoncé’s album serves as a roadmap, with songs like Amen symbolizing how Black townships, built around churches, connected freedom, spirituality, and education.
“Beyoncé ending this whole experience with Amen is a way to honor this anchoring point of faith and a desire for your children to want better and do better than you,” she said. “Most of these towns are built around churches and schools.”
In her class, students will learn that freedom came to Black families when they could learn and worship freely and safely.
Engaging students in collective memory
Inspired by Kinitra Brooks’s Beyoncé and pop culture class, Odewale’s class will begin the semester by building a collective syllabus.
“My students will decide what kind of readings, podcasts, or articles they want to include and what else should be on the syllabus,” she said.
Interactive assignments include visits to culturally and historically significant places in Houston’s Black community and creating digital story maps of historic Black towns. These emphasize reclaiming erased histories.
“It’s about remembering together,” she said, “and practicing collective storytelling to honor what our ancestors have done.”
A planned visit to Houston’s historic Black sites, including Emancipation Park and Freedman’s Town, will allow students to reflect on Black freedom through direct engagement with these spaces.
Expanding narratives
While Beyoncé’s work is an entry point, Odewale insists the focus remains on the broader narrative of Black freedom and resistance.
“This is a class about Black liberation—Juneteenth is only one part of the story,” she said. From examining the role of churches and schools in anchoring Black towns to unpacking the legacy of Black cowboys, the course highlights the multifaceted paths to freedom carved by African Americans.
University of Houston Professor Dr. Odewale is illuminating hidden Black history and empowering a new generation to think critically about the past through her research, teaching, and cultural advocacy.
“This story is much bigger than Beyoncé,” she declared, “but she’s given us the spotlight to dive deeper.”
As students prepare for a semester of learning and rediscovery, Odewale’s unique lens promises to leave an indelible mark on how we view the American West, Black freedom, and the enduring power of storytelling.
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