SEATTLE â Rock ânâ Roll has a complicated history. Like nearly every form of American music, it was created by Black artists. Yet, Black artists have often been made to feel unwelcome in the genre or had their contributions erased.
White men in particular have been overrepresented (to put it mildly) in almost every corner of what was the worldâs most popular genre for generations. For years, it was â and in many circles, still is â all too common to attend a rock show and see three bands, each made up of white dudes with guitars.
Seattle, historically, is no exception.