Tina Knowles, Beyoncé’s mother, reports that she experienced racial discrimination at the 2024 Kentucky Derby.
In a recent Peacock documentary titled “High Horse: The Black Cowboy”, Tina Knowles shares a shocking experience she had at the 2024 Kentucky Derby that left her feeling frustrated and acutely aware of the lingering exclusivity in certain spaces.
In the third episode of this series, which digs into the rich history of Black cowboys and examines racial dynamics in Western culture, Ms Tina opens up about a moment that really struck a personal chord with her. She talks about the “racially charged energy” that enveloped the Derby, and a specific incident that really illustrated that for her.
As she was getting ready to walk the red carpet, a staff member announced that it was her turn. But just moments later, another staffer showed up, bringing a White couple with her, and insisted that they should go ahead of Tina. The way Knowles describes it, the dismissal wasn’t subtle in the least. It was blatantly disrespectful.
“I mean, just blatant,” she recalls. “Someone came up and said, ‘Oh, Tina Knowles is next.’ And then another young lady walked right up and said, ‘Oh no, because we need a…’ and interrupted me right in my face. I said, ‘…a White person?'”
What’s telling is that the staffer didn’t even try to argue. They just brushed past Knowles, grabbed the couple behind her, and ushered them onto the carpet without a second thought. “It’s racially charged there,” she reflects. “There’s a lot of racially charged energy.”
For Tina Knowles, who’s not just a fashion icon and entrepreneur, but also the proud mother of global superstar Beyoncé, this was a real “wake-up call.” It underscores the documentary’s aim to highlight how often Black people are sidelined or erased in narratives connected to Americana and Western heritage, despite the significant role Black cowboys have played in that story.
In her segment, Knowles also defends Beyoncé’s country album, “Cowboy Carter”, which sparked a lot of discussions about genres, culture, and who gets to claim ownership of them. She emphasizes that the album didn’t come from nowhere. It’s built upon the groundwork laid by pioneers like Linda Martell, a groundbreaking Black woman in country music.
