Beyoncé caused quite the stir during last Sunday’s big Usher concert (some call it the “Super Bowl”). She released two new country pop songs Texas Hold ‘Um and 16 Carriages. While entertainers like Nikki Minaj use their fan following to create bullying mobs, Beyoncé put the beyhive to work reclaiming the Black roots of country music.

It’s worth remembering that musicians like Beyoncé work under contract with record labels; they are not employed by record labels per-say.  The real music business happens outside the label developing an image, securing live performance revenue, and owning profit generating portions of your work.  Black Music History is filled with a deep bench of socially conscious, entrepreneurial people and Beyoncé is walking in this tradition.

Social Entrepreneurship Defined

If we are arguing that Black American musicians define American social entrepreneurship, then we must ask what social entrepreneurship is.  Standford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) defines social entrepreneurship with three key points:

• Identifying and targeting a stable but unjust equilibrium that disadvantages a segment of society.
• Utilizing inspiration, creativity, and determination to develop and implement a social value proposition that challenges and changes the unjust status quo.
• Creating a new, stable equilibrium that alleviates the suffering of the targeted group, ensures better future conditions, and can be sustained through broad adoption and support within society.

The country music market has been notably difficult for Black artists. Lil Nas X faced backlash for his country pop hit Old Town Road.  Beyoncé’s own song, Daddy Lessons, from her groundbreaking 2016 album Lemonade faced backlash from country music fans and power brokers. Black country music artists like Rhiannon Giddens and Rissi Palmer have noted racist backlash to their work and are constantly working to both entertain and educate fans.

Rhiannon Giddens on Twitter / X:

I think it’s important to mention at this juncture that I am a banjo scholar and early non-commercial country music enthusiast- for the real work on Country music as a genre, and our place in it, check out the brilliance of @RissiPalmer - she KNOWS!!! ❤️❤️❤️

— Rhiannon Giddens (@RhiannonGiddens) February 18, 2024

The social entrepreneurial mission becomes clear. Black artists are working to reset the market conditions of the modern country music market and alleviate the systemic racism and bias that keeps Black people out of the genre their ancestors founded.

Country Music History is Black Music History

Perspectives Media Regenerated Sketch, N’Goni West African Instrument

As is the lineage of much American history, the roots of the modern music genre we call Country dates to enslaved Africans. The N’goni, Akonting, and Xalam are West African multi-stringed instruments that made the harrowing voyage with West Africans on the Atlantic Slave Trade. These instruments inspired the founding instrument of the country music genre, the banjo.

If you’re interested in the modern canon around the Black roots of the country music genre and the banjo, check out the work of Grammy Award winning Banjo player, Rhiannon Giddens. Rhiannon did a 13-part series called “The Banjo: Music, History, and Heritage” on Wondrium. Also check out singer and Apple Radio host, Rissi Palmer on Apple Music’s Color Me Country radio.

Black Musicians Have Always Been Social Entrepreneurs

Sometimes justice-oriented, sometimes spiritual, sometimes nonviolent. and sometimes militant—the thread that connects Black social entrepreneurial musicians is an unending desire to bend the arc of moral history toward freedom and justice for Black Americans.

• Ma Rainey set the template in the early 20^th century fighting for her rights and singing the blues. She donated to rights causes and mentored up and coming artists on how to take ownership of their work.
• Thomas Dorsey, the father of gospel music, wrote a song “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” and allowed it to be chosen by Dr. Martin Luther King as the song of the 1950s civil rights movement.
• Mahalia Jackson supported the 1950s civil rights movement both monetarily and volunteering her talents to empower the movement. Jackson sang Precious Lord, Take My Hand at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King.
• Esther Gordy Edwards, sister of Berry Gordy was the executive in charge of venues and bookings. According to Abdul “Duke” Fakir of the singing group Four Tops, after a racist incident at a white club Esther Gordy Edwards used the power of Motown to integrate the Motown Revue. Fakir states, “The Motown Revue didn’t finish the tour because of that. They stopped the tour and they said, ‘The next time we come back, it needs to be all-inclusive.’ Esther Gordy Edwards, Berry’s sister, just wouldn’t have it.”
• NWA burst onto the music scene in 1988 with Fuk Da Police highlighting police brutality against Black people.

Intersectionality of Social Entrepreneurship

Here are some Social Entrepreneurs you can get to know and maybe even buy from.

• Luz Media highlighted Latina social entrepreneurs making moves in everything from hiring to fixing greenhouse gas emissions
• Across the pond, an investment firm in the UK is bridging the funding gap for Black and Asian entrepreneurs
• On StartOut, a startup incubator for LGBTQ+ folx launched a new podcast