Marginalization Of Black Culture In Country Music Analysis

The Marginalization of Black Culture within Country Music Country music is often viewed as the whitest and most segregated genre of music; however, its roots mainly stem from the working-class Black man. Evidence of African Americans’ involvement in the country genre can be dated decades back. However, as time continues on, their presence has come to a halt because genres such as hip-hop and R&B have evolved and become more accepting of the Black community. DeFord Bailey, who was the first African American country artist, had a strong influence on the progression of country music, yet it took years after his death for Bailey to get recognized in the Country Music Hall of Fame----mainly due to his race. The idea of white dominance
In this chapter, Du Bois describes how the black performers were ridiculed because of their race as illustrated in the following quote, “Then they went, fighting cold and starvation, shut out of hotels, and cheerfully sneered at, ever northward; and ever the magic of their song kept thrilling hearts, until a burst of applause in the Congregational Council at Oberlin revealed them to the world” (Du Bois 179). In other words, the Fisk Jubilee Singers were not respected because of their skin color. The Fisk Jubilee Singers remained resilient despite the racial oppression that they faced while touring and eventually sparked a rise in popularity among white audiences similar to Bailey. Performing at the Congregational Council at Oberlin and the Grand Ole Opry offered great opportunities for both the Fisk Jubilee Singers and DeFord Bailey. They were given this honor to perform at these prestigious venues that allowed for them to exhibit their talents among large crowds of predominately white people. Nevertheless, once the start of network television began, Bailey’s music career suffered