Though Black artists have made major strides on the recent country music scene — with Beyoncé and Shaboozey launching No. 1 hits and acts like Brittney Spencer and Tanner Adell marking breakthroughs — racism in the genre still exists. For Americana-country husband-and-wife duo The War and Treaty , it came last week at the Coca-Cola Sips & Sounds Music Festival in Austin, Texas.
Ahead of their performance, Michael Trotter Jr. tells The Hollywood Reporter , “There was a cotton plant” in their dressing room. “And we all know what that means.
We all know what that represents in this country to people that look like us.” “Anger is what I felt. Disrespect is what I felt.
Sadness is what I felt. Sadness not just because of what that plant represents to people that look like me but sadness for myself because I am a son of this country. I served this country honorably in the United States Army 16th Infantry, 2nd Brigade, 1st Armored Division.
I’m wounded for that service. I’m very vocal about my wounds and my scars, and I felt betrayed,” he explains. “It’s not fair.
It’s something that white artists don’t have to worry about at all. ..
. It just happens to come through the bowels of this genre. So, I feel that it’s not enough for us to talk about it, we have to demand that we be about it.
” The Grammy-nominated duo went on to perform on the main stage, though Trotter explains: “When I demanded that we quickly leave this festival and get out of there, .
