A More Inclusive Country Music
THE COUNTRY-MUSIC industry has a complicated relationship with race. For every Charley Pride or Darius Rucker who’s been afforded institutional support, there are hundreds of Linda Martells and Wendy Motens who haven’t. But there’s evidence of a shift in the right direction.
One group leading the effort to make change is Black Opry, which has turned into an intersectional movement for hosting and promoting revue-type showcases for Black performers. Founder Holly G says the group began in service of her own country-music fandom, but she now has to consider the safety of artists working with Black Opry. “There’s so much nuance to the way we have to operate just to exist in these music spaces,” she says.
Though they don’t necessarily think of it as such, Black Opry’s work has been a kind of activism as it pushes for more inclusive spaces. “The work is just something we feel compelled that we have to do,” Black Opry co-director Tanner Davenport says.
Parts of the industry are beginning to recognize the value in a more inclusive approach. CMT has consistently reaffirmed its commitment to diversity through initiatives like Equal Play. CMA Fest has booked numerous Black performers on its stages this year. And WXPN, home of World Cafe, recently partnered on the Black Opry Residency to help develop artists like Kentucky Gentlemen and Samantha Rise.
That difficult work continues for Black Opry, since it often falls to the people struggling to be heard to create space. “It sucks that we’re in this position, that the people who are marginalized are having to turn and do the work,” Holly G says, “but honestly, that’s the only way I see it happening.”