Mickey Guyton Discusses Systemic Racism in Country Music Industry
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The Grammy-nominated singer also shares in a new interview that her handlers try to make her not to bring attention to her race and that 'glam was always an issue' for her.

AceShowbiz - Mickey Guyton reflected on her career as a black woman in country music industry. Speaking with Becky G on the latter's Facebook Watch show "Face to Face with Becky G", the "Black Like Me" singer talked about racism that she faced.

"It was extremely difficult. And not only is it difficult for a black woman, but it's difficult for women, period, in country music," Mickey shared in the Tuesday, January 4 episode of the show. "Like, the data is there. Women are majorly discriminated against in country music, and that is wrong. You know, girls like me and girls like you are put into these boxes, and that's where we belong. And I had people trying to tell me who I am."

Mickey went on to say that her handlers try to make her not to bring attention to her race. "Imagine someone telling you that and what that does to you mentally," the Grammy nominee divulged. "You lose yourself, and I lost myself for a very long time. And that was really hard."

"Like, imagine getting ready to do a music video and you have all of these people that don't look like you discussing your hair. And being like, 'Well, it's nappy over there,' " she recalled. "Glam was always an issue. I would ask them, I kept saying, 'Does this photographer know how to shoot a black person?' They'd be like, 'Well, yeah. They say they do.' "

"And then I'd be like, 'OK. Well, does this makeup artist know how to do a black person's face?' And they were like, 'Well, yeah. She says she does.' And then I would turn around in the makeup chair, and I would look dusty and crusty and ashy and gray," Mickey continued.

She called the experience "mentally debilitating for her, for you to have to walk on a red carpet or to shoot a music video knowing you don't feel your best. And that happened to me for years, like, up until, like, 2020, I dealt with that."

That led Becky to do her own research. "I started looking on, like, social media. And I started looking," the "Remember Her Name" artist said. "I'm like, 'OK, do they say they know how to do black hair and makeup?' And I'm looking and I'm like, 'I don't see any black people on their page.' "

Mickey mentioned that fellow black musician Rissi Palmer, who was able to get into the country music chart in 2007, was her inspiration. That was also the reason why she had the courage to try and make it in the genre she loves.

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