“I quickly learned that not only were there other artists of color making country music, but the genre itselfwouldn’t exist without the contributions of Black musicians and the West African roots of the banjo.”

I was nine years old when I heard country music for the first time. My favorite cousin, Ruthie, was watching my sister and me while my mom was away. I loved her because she never treated me like a kid. She had us learn the lyrics to some of her favorite CDs to keep us entertained. One of those albums was Why Not Me by The Judds. Hours of singing later, a newfound love for country music was born. I was hooked.