Undoing

I've played country and folk music over the radio waves for years as a volunteer at community radio stations. And as a feminist, I've made a conscious effort to play more women's voices in often male-dominated music genres. Until recently, I have not assessed the inclusion or exclusion of people of color in my playlists. Certainly, if I came across an artist of color making music that fit my radio shows, I would play their records. But I failed to seek them out in the albums lining the walls of the stations where I have hosted programs. Then I started a graduate program in Social Work and a light bulb turned on. It was and is simply not enough to wait for those albums to inadvertantly cross my path. If I want to resist this white dominated culture of music, I can't be passive. I need to do my homework, I need to pay attention. Is country music really only for and by white people? Or is that simply a reflection of an industry's decision to maintain a look and sound? Where are the people of color making the music and why haven't I been celebrating them?

As agents of social justice, we must look at how we are reinforcing or resisting systems of oppression. How do we integrate justice into every day life? Where does anti-oppressive work belong if not on our radios?

This blog is an exploration of voices of color in country, bluegrass, folk, and blues. And perhaps an accountability to me as well: making greater space for diversity in my radio programs.