Black People's Music Is At the Heart of American Music

Did White People Steal Black People's Music? 

A woman recently interviewed on MSNBC claimed that white people had stolen most of American music from black people. It is certainly true that much of American music has its roots in forms invented by black Americans. Ragtime, jazz and rock all have black roots, and forms like country music, which did not originate from black people, have been heavily influenced by rock and jazz. However, to call American music “stolen” misses an important point.

American Culture is Not White

American culture is not a white or European culture, although some people like to pretend that it is. American culture has been created by the American people, including black Americans. We are not a white nation. We are a rich mixture of all of the races who have contributed to building our country, and our culture reflects that fact. 

Black People's Music is at the Heart of American Music

The contribution of black people to American culture has been enormous, especially in the area of music, but rather than saying that white people have stolen black people’s music, I would say that black people’s music has become the most important influence in the development of American music. That influence has been irresistible because of the quality, originality and variety of the music, because of the beauty of its forms and because of the talent of its performers. To say that white people stole black people’s music, doesn't really describe what happened. It would be more accurate to say that the music of black Americans is at the heart of what has become American music.