Mickey Guyton is the first solo Black woman to be nominated for a Grammy in the country category. Although Mickey didn’t win last night, she did make history in a genre of music that has worked extremely hard to keep Black people out. Mickey was interviewed by ET Online correspondent Keltie Knight on the red carpet at the Grammys. They talked about her historic nomination, her song Black Like Me (I downloaded it), giving birth to her son Grayson thirty days ago, and the backlash she received from calling out country singer Morgan Wallen. Morgan was caught on video using the n-word while drinking and partying with his friends. Morgan later apologized after being shunned (eye roll). Mickey told Keltie that the vitriol and hatred that came at her caused her to go into premature labor with her son. Below are a few excerpts from her Entertainment Tonight interview on Youtube:
On her song Black Like Me resonating with people
The world stopped and it forced us to really look at ourselves but I wrote this song almost three years ago after I saw Botham Jean and that story of how he passed away. I was so affected by that and I’ve seen police brutality happen against my husband. Just now the world stopped and was able to see it and to see us and to see what is truly important that we are all one.On calling out Morgan Wallen for racism
The hate that I got after I called it out was really bad. It caused me to go into early labor. The stress the day before I gave birth. I was literally in bed clinging to my mom and my husband because of how horrible it was.We have a lot of work to do because I didn’t do anything wrong and [Duchess Meghan] didn’t do anything wrong by calling it out but the hate we get back for that is insane.
Holding that door open and really lifting each other up that’s what 2021 is to me. It’s not enough that I’m the only black woman signed to a major record label in Nashville there needs to be several black women signed to major record companies in Nashville. Even the LGBTQIA plus community there’s so many artists that are finally coming out and saying this is who I am.
What is really sad about this situation is that Mickey is one of many Black women who have had their unborn child put into danger because of racism, like Meghan Markle and Beyonce. Racism is literally violent and puts Black women and children’s lives in danger. I am glad that Mickey was able to get the support that she needed and that she delivered her son safely. I absolutely love the story behind her song Black Like Me and it is such a beautiful song. The more Black people, especially Black women, discuss the damage to their health from dealing with racism, the louder the call for addressing it will be. Good luck to Mickey with breaking barriers in country music. It is definitely a genre I have loved since I was young, being from Texas and all. It would be nice to see country come home to some of its African roots since country stems from Irish folk music coupled with African instruments (the banjo). I look forward to watching Mickey’s star rise and I wish good health to her and her family.
Here’s that interview:
photos credit: Getty and via Instagram
I will never understand how just being black makes people hate you.
The emphasis should be placed on the racist bigots and systemic white supremacy, not on the Black person. Black people have done nothing to create this. There is so much reading material on the history of race construction, colonization, systemic white supremacy. The most important thing to understand is that the myth of white supremacy was consciously and intentionally constructed and it continues to be constructed every single day, every moment, by *all* those who benefit from racial categories and those who could learn more but don’t. Follow the money throughout history.
I trained as a doula almost 15 years ago, before having my son. I’m so glad that I did because I learned, during my study, that racism contributes to so many health disparities in Black folks. Racism (and living in a racist nation and dealing with racist healthcare providers) keeps our systems revving constantly like an engine. Most white folks get home at the end of the day and their systems can wind down. Studies have shown that Black folks’ cortisol levels remain elevated, even hours after they’ve gotten home.
Every time Black folks rest, relax, nurture ourselves and learn to slow down and be at ease, it is an act of resistance and revolution.
x 10000000 I have been so sick the last few years, largely from being an adjunct teacher without health insurance, giving everything I had and more to the job in a PWI, being badly mistreated as a Black woman within those spaces, and now all I do is dream about getting free. For the sake of my life. I can’t live in this U.S. society anymore, and I know there are places on the planet that will be better, where I won’t feel like due to the effects of racism and white supremacy, I’m on a slow path to the grave. Just need to get these student loans paid off and I’ll finally be free.
Keep shining, Anna. Save your health. Save yourself. I wish you all good things.
I applaud folks who can handle the vitriol of online discussions that take place on Twitter, Instagram, etc…..because I sure as hell CANNOT. (Celebitchy writers, how do you do it??)
I feel for Mickey–trolls have no boundaries, your audience is completely global, and generally, the Internet can be a scary place. I wouldn’t be surprised if she received death threats, trolls knew where she lived, etc. And no one telling you “they’re trolls” makes it feel any less dangerous, because honestly, it’s not. I had a friend’s raging ex boyfriend that I’ve never met find my info online via my work, and he showed up at my office hours. I invited him in my office, thinking he was a student, and wow, the whole event was scary.
I have now taken off my real name from any social media account, and I only speak up to friends online (via private friends networks). I also won’t comment publicly on social media like Twitter, etc. Or at least I won’t try to. I actually had to delete a tweet the other day that I thought was innocuous–I critiqued John Mayer on a major journalist’s tweet, and Mayer’s online groupies begin to tweet horrible things to me. (Who knew he had such die hard fans?? He is so gross?)
I’ve never been a fan of country music for the same reason that her nomination is so historic. I’ll check out her music.
You won’t be disappointed. Great message and she has a beautiful voice!
The fact that this guys record sales skyrocketed after this came out says so much about that genres fans and their mindset. Disgusting. Country music, for the most part, has degraded over the years as it is. In particular, the male singers. So many seem to sing about the same old tired thing (chicks, trucks, drinking) with no real story telling or real talent going on like the older country music had.
Exactly. My favorite country singers come from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. All are women – Dolly, The Judds, The Dixie Chics, Reba, Shania. So I feel ya.