Identifying Classical Music’s Racial Inequity: An Afro-American Perspective

Presented on May 24, 2024 at the German Society for American Studies conference in Oldenburg Germany. Panel: Music, Race, and Human Rights in North America Since 1948

Pierre Bourdieu stated in Distinction, that “Music is the only art form that goes directly to the human spirit.”

Classical music’s racial inequity is real. The moral imperatives of everyday cosmopolitanism won’t stop it. These imperatives suggest we all deserve equal treatment, and that racial inequity and socio-economic inequality are bad. In reality, everyday cosmopolitanism is about the preservation of white supremacy, not the inclusion of racialized groups. It’s a leitmotif for those who refuse self-reflection on racial inequity, and/or deny its existence.

White gatekeepers define classical music. They include conductors, musicians, artistic administrators, artist managers, music professors, and consultants. When confronted with racial inequity, they report feeling “ashamed to be white,” or “feeling uncomfortable,” while parading subscriptions to everyday cosmopolitanism. Statements such as, “I’m a good person. How can I be racist?”, are common.

Racism isn’t individual acts of meanness. It’s group prejudice backed by institutional power. — Dr. Robin DiAngelo in White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About…