I don't know about other countries, here we have a high profile music awards ceremony called the MOBOs
The Music Of Black Origin awards.
Now the existence of these awards gives non black racists (as, let's be fair, black racists exist) ammunition. They say such things as "you wouldn't be allowed a music of white origin awards ceremony"
Would a music of white origin awards ceremony be deemed racist?
Ignoring this...as people suffering confirmation bias (by definition, racists) will cherry pick anything that reinforces that belief, what troubles me is a conversation I had with an ex colleague some years ago.
Her name was (and presumably still is) Michelle, who, it's necessary to add, was a young black woman.
It went like this...
Michelle: " are you watching the mobos tonight?"
Me: "nah, with the exception of the mercury music awards, i don't bother with awards ceremonies"
Michelle: "I've never watched the mercuries. I only watch the MOBOs. Oasis & all that, that's white boy music, what's that got to do with me?"
^^^^^this is my problem^^^^^
You see, the MOBOs are doing nothing more than shifting units by selling identity (and exacerbating issues in the process)
Oasis....a rock and roll band.
rock and roll origins....Chuck Berry, Little Richard
before that the blues
So a band like Oasis, by definition, is music of black origin.
So my issue here isn't the existence of the MOBOs but how their limited format can help shape a negative, and inaccurate, outlook.
Michelle was obviously within her rights for any band to not resonate with her...but for her to do so on racial grounds irrespective of the history of black music i find troubling