Aint I a Diva?, Kevin Allred
Aint I a Diva?, Kevin Allred
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Ain't I a Diva?
Beyoncé and the Power of Pop Culture Pedagogy

Author: Kevin Allred, Cheryl Clarke

Narrator: Erik Bloomquist

Unabridged: 8 hr 44 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/31/2022


Synopsis

A pedagogical primer on integrating Black feminist thought, critical race studies, and America's most beloved pop star.

In 2010—long before the release of Lemonade—Professor Kevin Allred created the university course "Politicizing Beyoncé" to both wide acclaim and controversy. He outlines his pedagogical philosophy in Ain't I a Diva?, exploring the process of teaching Beyoncé and what it means to use a superstar to blow up the canon. Allred brings his syllabus to life by pairing music videos and songs with historical and academic texts, and combines analysis with classroom anecdotes. Topics range from a capitalist critique of "Run the World (Girls)" to the politics of self-care found in "Flawless"; Beyoncé's art is read alongside Black feminist thinkers, including Kimberlé Crenshaw, Octavia Butler, and Sojourner Truth.

Interrogating the entertainer's career through a media studies lens, Allred attests that pop culture is so much more than a guilty pleasure—it's an access point for education, entertainment, critical inquiry, and politics.

About Kevin Allred

Kevin Allred is a writer, speaker, and educator based in Brooklyn. His writing has been featured in Salon, INTO, NBC News, and other publications.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Walker

“Ain’t I a Diva?” is the natural culmination of Kevin Allred’s work teaching his class “Politicizing Beyoncé”, which originated in 2010 and gained national attention from media outlets and even Beyoncé’s own Parkwood team. The class aimed to explore Beyoncé’s body of work through various lenses incl......more

Goodreads review by pelumi

This was delightful......more

If you like Beyoncé, you'll love this book. Kevin Allred started the popular college course "Politicizing Beyoncé" back in 2010 -- this book turns that class into an accessible, exciting read. Even inspirational at times. It covers a lot of ground and also introduces readers to a longer history of B......more