<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="1" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> STEM-designated. Tar Heel ROI. No compromises. </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA is designed for experienced professionals looking to take their career to the next level. Students have access to lifelong career benefits and a global network of 51,000+ business school alumni. Earn your MBA online in as few as 18 months or up to three years. MBA Fellowships Available.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-1" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-1" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNC2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="71" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> The Online MBA From Rice Business </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> Rethink Your Approach to Business </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>GMAT waivers are available for the online MBA from Rice Business, ranked a Top-20 Online MBA by U.S. News & World Report. Ranked #1 in graduate entrepreneurship in the U.S. by the Princeton Review for 2024, aspiring entrepreneurs can earn their MBA in as few as 24 months.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-71" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-71" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinebusiness.rice.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Rice2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinebusiness.rice.edu/requestinfo/index/">Learn More</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

<div class="edu-card" data-widget-id="2" data-cy="edu-card"> <div class="edu-card-banner" data-cy="edu-card-banner"> Advertisement </div> <div class="edu-card-container" data-cy="edu-card-container"> <div class="edu-card-content" data-cy="edu-card-content"> <div class="edu-card-title" data-cy="edu-card-title"> <h1 class="edu-card-title-heading" data-cy="edu-card-title-heading"> UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA </h1> <p class="edu-card-title-subheading" data-cy="edu-card-title-subheading"> STEM-designated. Tar Heel ROI. No compromises. </p> </div> <div class="edu-card-content-description" data-cy="edu-card-content-description"> <div class="edu-card-content-description-content"> <p>UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA is designed for experienced professionals looking to take their career to the next level. Students have access to lifelong career benefits and a global network of 51,000+ business school alumni. Earn your MBA online in as few as 18 months or up to three years. MBA Fellowships Available.</p> </div> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore"> <input type="checkbox" id="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-2" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input" /> <label for="edu-card-content-description-readmore-input-2" class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label"> <span class="edu-card-content-description-readmore-label-arrow"></span> </label> </span> </div> <a class="edu-card-content-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Visit Website</a> <span class="edu-card-content-caption"> </span> </div> <div class="edu-card-action" data-cy="edu-card-action"> <picture class="edu-card-picture" data-cy="edu-card-picture"> <img src="https://fortune.com/img-assets/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/UNC2UadCURRENT.png?w=250&amp;h=165" class="" alt=""> <span class="edu-card-picture-label"> </span> </picture> <div class="edu-card-action-cta" data-cy="edu-card-action-cta"> <a class="edu-card-action-button" target="_blank" href="https://onlinemba.unc.edu/requestinfo/index/">Visit Website</a> <span class="edu-card-action-caption"> </span> </div> </div> </div></div><script> function checkWidgets() { document.querySelectorAll('.edu-card-content-description-content').forEach((content) => { const readMoreBtn = content.nextElementSibling; if (!readMoreBtn) { return; } if (content && content.clientHeight === content.scrollHeight) { readMoreBtn.style.display = 'none'; } else { delete readMoreBtn.style.removeProperty('display'); } }) } window.removeEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); window.addEventListener('resize', checkWidgets); checkWidgets();</script>

cat_Other

Low Intent

ptype_Explainer

ptype_News

Preston Fore

<p>It’s no question that having professors with true practical experience provides some of the best insight into the real world.</p><div class="paywall-selector"></div><div class="paywall">



<p>So, when students in one of Pepperdine University’s newest courses started their semester, they were in for a surprise when there was not one professor—but two.</p>



<p>The surprise co-instructor turned out to be an esteemed music executive, entrepreneur, and educator. And also Beyonce’s father.</p>



<p><a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.mathewknowles.com/" target="_blank">Mathew Knowles</a> is teaching a course this Spring semester titled “African American Aesthetic Culture From Spirituals to Hip Hop,” alongside <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://seaver.pepperdine.edu/academics/faculty/joi-carr/" target="_blank">Joi Carr</a>, Pepperdine English and film professor.</p>



<p>Knowles, known for his role in propelling Destiny’s Child and Beyonce to musical success, has sold more than 500 million records globally. But, to students, he’s been Professor Knowles for 22 years.</p>



<p>“I have a fundamental belief that knowledge is power,” he tells <em>Fortune</em>. </p>



<p>And this conviction is part of the reason why he believes it is critical to educate and motivate young people. “Most people I know, they are successful because they have a tremendous amount of knowledge in the area that they’re working in and are contributing,” he adds.</p>



<p>The goal of the course is to explore the aesthetic musical contributions of African Americans in the U.S.—mixed with socio-historical context, Carr says. The course starts by looking at slavery and ventures all the way up to modern day hip-hop.</p>



<p>“We learn about resilience, we learn about hope, faith, the deep complexity of the human condition—by looking at one particular group of people. And I think it’s important for us to do that, especially in the United States,” Carr tells <em>Fortune</em>. </p>



<p>“Most people don’t know the contributions that the slaves made to all the genres of music we know today,” Knowles adds. “And that’s what this course is all about.”</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">From slavery to hip-hop</h2>



<p>Teaching history correctly is something Knowles is passionate about and part of what led him to join Carr in co-leading the course.</p>



<p>He says that many young people today don’t know a lot about history, including their own family’s history. And when it comes to slavery in particular, there are a lot of misconceptions. </p>



<p>“There’s a tremendous false narrative there,” he says. “We just want to educate, and the knowledge is so important that we understand the pitfalls of history, and how our young people can learn from that.”</p>



<p>The battle against history, particularly when it comes to race, has especially been thrown into the national spotlight recently as states like Florida attempt to crackdown on what they view as <a href="https://fortune.com/2023/05/22/school-war-on-woke-parents-lawsuit/" data-type="link" data-id="https://fortune.com/2023/05/22/school-war-on-woke-parents-lawsuit/">‘woke’ education</a>. In 2023, the state notably rejected College Board’s AP African American Studies course, saying it was “<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/19/us/desantis-florida-ap-african-american-studies.html#:~:text=Florida%20Rejects%20A.P.-,African%20American%20Studies%20Class,and%20significantly%20lacks%20educational%20value.%E2%80%9D" target="_blank">historically inaccurate</a>,” which prompted the company to <a href="https://fortune.com/2023/04/25/college-board-ap-course-african-american-studies-ron-desantis-black-history/">revise the curriculum</a>.</p>



<p>And in 2021, the University of North Carolina <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/07/06/nikole-hannah-jones-tenure-dispute-unc-chapel-hill-howard/" data-type="link" data-id="https://fortune.com/2021/07/06/nikole-hannah-jones-tenure-dispute-unc-chapel-hill-howard/">denied tenure to journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones</a>, which she expected was largely because of her involvement in the 1619 Project—a New York Times Magazine project focused on the country’s relationship with slavery and history.</p>



<p>“There’s history. And there’s <em>his story</em>. And often, we’re listening to <em>his story</em> instead of history,” Knowles says.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A true professor of the practice</h2>



<p>Beyond the musical successes of his kids, Knowles has worked with many other top names in music including Earth Wind &amp; Fire and Chaka Khan. Overall, he has served as an executive producer for over 100 award-winning, platinum and gold albums.</p>



<p>Additionally, Knowles also has been a force in the boardroom, having worked as a leader at top companies like <a href="https://fortune.com/company/xerox/" data-type="link" data-id="https://fortune.com/company/xerox/">Xerox</a> and <a href="https://fortune.com/company/johnson-johnson/" data-type="link" data-id="https://fortune.com/company/johnson-johnson/">Johnson &amp; Johnson</a>. He’s also taught and spoken at countless universities, including his alma mater <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.fisk.edu/" target="_blank">Fisk University</a>. But maybe best of all, he has humility. </p>



<p>“The wonderful thing about Dr. Knowles is he’s transparent, he’s authentic,” Carr says. “I feel his humanity.”</p>



<p>The students in the course, Carr adds, are beyond thrilled to be able to learn from Knowles—and have to try to stay focused on the course materials, especially on the day when he brought a Grammy to the classroom. “They’re pinching themselves.” </p>



<p>Knowles describes his education style as “edutainment”—adding in videos and other elements to make the classroom experience engaging.</p>



<p>“I’ve always felt it’s a privilege for me to give back and to also share my knowledge, but equally important to share my failures,” he says. “Because I think I like to keep it real with students that there is going to be mistakes, there’ll be some failures, but those are opportunities to grow rather than quit.”</p>
</div>

Esteemed music executive Mathew Knowles has been sharing his secrets of music and business for 22 years—this semester at Pepperdine University.

From Destiny’s Child to the college classroom: Beyonce’s dad co-teaches African American music history course

Mathew Knowles and Joi Carr sit at a table smiling during their class.

F-Search

Education

Education Articles

Jasmine Suarez

Business

Esteemed music executive Mathew Knowles has been sharing his secrets of music and business for 22 years.

‘Knowledge is power’: Beyonce’s dad co-teaches African American music history class

‘Knowledge is power’: Beyonce’s dad co-teaches African American music history course

Fortune earns a commission for purchases made from affiliate partners via some links on our site; other links are not affiliate partner links. <a href='/affiliate-disclosure/'>Click here</a> to read the full Fortune advertiser disclosure and how we earn commissions.

We have independently evaluated the products and services below. We may earn affiliate revenue from links in the content.

Fortune Editors

Fortune Education is designed to be your guide to navigating this new, rich and somewhat overwhelming world of education. Our team of experienced editors is committed to scouring the universe of online offerings in order to rank, rate, provide comparisons and recommend the right solutions for you and your career.

Fortune Education

Uncategorized

homepage

articles

Articles Hub

By Region

By State

By Cost

Career Hub

Health and Wellness

Tech

EDUCATION

EDUCATION ARTICLES

FROM DESTINY’S CHILD TO THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM: BEYONCE’S DAD CO-TEACHES AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSIC HISTORY COURSE

‘Knowledge is power’: Beyonce’s dad co-teaches African American music history class | Fortune Education

From Destiny’s Child to the college classroom: Beyonce’s dad co-teaches African American music history course | Fortune Education

Rich Griset

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

https://fortune.com/education/articles/free-data-analytics-courses/?itm_source=parsely-api

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

https://fortune.com/education/articles/real-estate-school-review-aceableagent/?itm_source=parsely-api

What is a data scientist?

https://fortune.com/education/articles/what-is-a-data-scientist/?itm_source=parsely-api

Brit Morse

A law associate making $300,000 a year at Skadden Arps quit over the firm’s deal with Donald Trump

/article/rachel-cohen-making-300k-year-law-associate-skadden-arps-quit-protest-firms-deal-trump/

Get ready to pay more than $2,000 for a new iPhone: Experts say Trump’s 125% tariff on China is a ‘complete disaster for Apple’ akin to ‘Armageddon’

/2025/04/10/apple-iphone-16-price-complete-disaster-china-trump-tariffs/

It’s about to get a lot harder for job seekers as tariffs are set to make the hiring landscape even more daunting

/2025/04/07/trump-tariffs-labor-market-more-challenging-job-seekers-economists-say/

This company does peer performance reviews—And then lets everyone read each other’s evaluations

/2025/03/24/performance-review-process-company-allows-all-workers-read-garner-health-workplace-culture/

2024 health coach certification review: Catalyst Coaching Institute

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-catalyst-coaching-institute/

A guide to a nurse’s salary: Broken down by all 50 states and industry type

/education/careers/nurse-salary/

2024 health coach certification review: Institute for Integrative Nutrition

/education/articles/health-coach-certification-review-institute-for-integrative-nutrition/

10 high-paying public health jobs right now

/education/careers/public-health-jobs/

Jason Del Rey

Is eBay actually sexy again as the ecommerce old-timer’s stock surges to an all-time high?

/2025/07/31/ebay-earnings-live-sports-cards-trading-pokemon/

Erik German

Meet the CIA-backed venture fund behind Palantir, Anduril—and a spy tool that might be on your phone

/2025/07/29/in-q-tel-cia-venture-capital-palantir-anduril/

Dana Hull

Kiel Porter

Bloomberg

Tesla engineering VP Moravy says company in ‘big swing moment’

/2025/07/27/tesla-engineering-vp-lars-moravy-big-swing-moment-musk-robotaxi-optimus-semi/

Christiaan Hetzner

Volkswagen seeks audience with Trump, dangling more than $10 billion in U.S. investments in exchange for tariff exemptions

/2025/07/25/volkswagen-trump-tariffs-exemptions/

Whether you’ve just completed your undergraduate degree or you are a professional with years of experience, Fortune is here to guide you on the next step of your educational journey.

‘Knowledge is power’: Beyonce’s dad co-teaches African American music history course

About the Contributors

Top Articles

10 free data analytics courses you can take online

2024 real estate school review: AceableAgent

What is a data scientist?

UNC Kenan-Flagler’s top-ranked online MBA