Maren Morris Uses Her Platform to Thank Black Women
And that is how you accept an award: Maren Morris used her time on stage at the 2020 Country Music Association Awards to thank Black artists who have inspired her and helped form the genre. In her acceptance speech for winning Female Vocalist of the Year, Morris said:
There are so many amazing Black women that pioneered and continue to pioneer this genre, and I know they’re going to come after me — they’ve come before me — but you’ve made this genre so, so beautiful. I hope you know that we see you. Thank you for making me so inspired as a singer in this genre.
As Olivia Roos wrote recently, “Women of color have long faced a culture of exclusion in country music, a genre that has typically favored white men, even though its roots are linked with early Black American music.”
Morris recommended checking out the work of Linda Martell, Yola, Mickey Guyton, Rissi Palmer, Brittney Spencer, and Rhiannon Giddens. For even more great music by Black women, start here:
