Revisiting My 2017 Article, My Daughter Loves Country Music, In Light of Mickey Guyton's song, Black Like Me

"It's a hard life on easy street
Just white painted picket fences far as you can see
And if you think we live in the land of the free
You should try to be, oh, black like me" —excerpt from Mickey Guyton's song, "Black Like Me"

When I originally published this article on November 1st, 2017, I was hesitant about sharing it because I wasn't sure if my message would be understood. Considering today's environment since the murder of George Floyd and the protests for equal rights led by the Black Lives Matter movement, people are striving to be more open-minded. I see people operating not out of fear but out of neighborly love and a sincere desire to do better. I felt it would be a perfect time to repost this essay. It connects deeply not only with the current discourse but with the recent song "Black Like Me" penned by a Black female country singer, Mickey Guyton (which you can listen to here).  —Chaz Ebert

I grew up with the knowledge that in the past, record companies geared certain music to certain audiences on the basis of their race. Some music was marketed to black audiences and was even called "race music," while other music was deemed "hillbilly" and might as well have been labeled "whites only." It wasn't until the 1960's and '70s that crossover songs in the genres of Motown, bluegrass and folk bridged the gap between audiences, proving that one's taste in music didn't depend solely on their skin color. There was some fear that this separation would occur again with the advent of rap music, but white suburban teens turned out to embrace it as eagerly as their black city peers. All that mattered in the music was its beat, its message and its ability to reach the listener. In fact, now we accept that music has a universal appeal. 

Still, programs such as "Hee Haw" did not showcase black country music stars and made it seem as if the genre was geared exclusively toward whites. {*I stand corrected, after this was first published several readers pointed out to me that Charley Pride had indeed been a guest on Hee Haw more than once.] That's why I was so excited to see the career of the African-American singer,  Charley Pride, the best-selling recording artist at RCA Records since Elvis Presley, and a country musician to boot.  In modern days Darius Rucker is the only modern black rock star I can think of who decided to turn his attention toward the realm of country. So I was surprised when I learned that my daughter Sonia loved country music.

Sonia is cool, in the know, well traveled and well rounded. She listens to everything from rap to opera. But it wasn't until we got in her car one day and I turned on her radio that I discovered Sonia's passion for country. I couldn't identify the artist, and I thought the valet had left the radio on a different station after parking her car. Sonia told me, "No, mom, it wasn't the valet. That's Kenny Chesney and this is my music." Of course I was aware of classic country stars like Dolly Parton and Willie Nelson, but that day in Sonia's car is when I began to listen to the work of country singers more closely. 

I was shocked, only because I had no idea Sonia liked country music or was even that familiar with it. Sonia explained that she liked the folky, soulful sound and stories in country music. "It's kind of like Gospel music," she said. "The songs are full of life-stories that are easy to follow." She said she began liking country when she was about 10 years old and I took her and her brother Jay on a cruise to the Caribbean. She watched "Coal Miners Daughter" in the ship's theatre and was changed. "I loved the movie and I loved the music and I was hooked!" These days we watch the Country Music Awards shows together and vow we will attend in person one day. 

Apart from Kenny Chesney, some of Sonia's other favorite artists are Dustin Lynch, Maren Morris, Miranda Lambert, Thomas Rhett, Luke Bryan and Eric Church. And she also treasures some of the old school artists like Terri Clark, Loretta Lynn and Kenny Rogers.

As a gift to my daughter, last week I decided to take her to the Kenny Rogers farewell tour in Nashville, Tennessee, where a gallery of country stars were slated to perform to honor him. Among them were the McCrary Sisters, a black gospel quartet, whose very presence at the event left me feeling more reassured. But then, reality set in, and I got cold feet. I am reluctant to admit this, but since President Trump's election, I have had doubts about racial issues in America. So I wondered if two African-American women would be accepted at a country music show. I didn't know how we would be received  when we seem to be reverting back to a time of racial division in our nation.

I reached out to friends in the music industry to ask if it would be safe for us to attend. Most gave me words of assurance, especially those who live in Nashville. In fact they said I would love Nashville and would have a good time there. However, there were a few who advised caution. As it turned out, the logistics at the last minute just didn't work out, so we decided not to go. But this failure to attend swirled around in my head until I had to face it squarely. Was it really the logistics that stopped me from buying the tickets, or was it fear?  Why would I be apprehensive about going to Nashville? Some white friends have told me of their fear about going into certain areas of Chicago or other big cities, but people may be surprised that some black friends also have fears about going to certain suburbs, or small towns where they would feel uncomfortable. We must talk about this racial fear openly and begin to heal these rifts.