Guyton said she has been dealing with racism since her childhood days in Texas, but the unfortunate circumstances motivated her be even more proud of being Black.

“It’s so important as Black people that we show ourselves in all different facets of this country and in this world,” she said. “Because this country was built of off Black people.”

Especially when it comes to country music, Guyton said she embraces the chance to break barriers. Particularly in the early stages of her career when she struggled to find success with country, Guyton said her husband helped her realize that she just needs to be herself.

“I was getting ready to quit and I was getting ready to quit country music, I talked to my husband, saying ‘why do you think country music isn’t working for me?’ Guyton said. “He was like ‘you’re running away from everything that makes you different…you’re a Black woman that sing country music, so why aren’t you writing from that perspective?’ So I wrote ‘Black Like Me.'”

That song, which was nominated for a Grammy, was start of a new beginning for Guyton.

“From there, I started thinking, ‘OK if I’m going to leave this genre, I need to make sure I can make it easier for the people that come after me,” Guyton said. “So I started looking for Black country singers. I found Brittney Spencer…I discovered Reyna Roberts and Tanner Adell and all these different artists. And I was juts trying to show people that were here. Because if Black people can see themselves, we will come to the genres.”

Mickey Guyton

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