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Black History Year

Liberating His People Wasn’t The Plan - But He Did It Anyway

Black History Year

PushBlack

History

4.62.2K Ratings

🗓️ 20 November 2023

⏱️ 3 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

During the 1950s, the music scene was extremely segregated. Berry Gordy was a young Black man with a dream, who was determined to implement change. He wanted to help Black artists break into the mainstream music scene. But many today are quick to criticize how he went about it.











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2-Minute Black History is produced by PushBlack, the nation's largest non-profit Black media company. PushBlack exists to amplify the stories of Black history you didn't learn in school. You make PushBlack happen with your contributions at BlackHistoryYear.com — most people donate $10 a month, but every dollar makes a difference. If this episode moved you, share it with your people! Thanks for supporting the work.


The production team for this podcast includes Cydney Smith, Len Webb, and Lilly Workneh. Our editors are Lance John and Avery Phillips from Gifted Sounds Network. Julian Walker serves as executive producer.

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

In 1963, America's Georgia, 15 black girls joined a protest.

0:05.9

One for the matinee, please.

0:08.0

Negroes, hit your tickets in the back.

0:11.0

We just want tickets to see the show. Here comes a whole mess of tickets for each. in the Based on the true story, Push Black presents The Stolen Girls of America's.

0:27.0

Listen and follow on the Odyssey app, or wherever you find your podcast.

0:36.6

During the 1950s the music scene was extremely segregated. Barry Gordy was a young black man with a dream who was

0:41.4

determined to implement change. He wanted to help black

0:44.5

artists break into the mainstream music scene but many today are quick to

0:49.1

criticize how he went about it. This is two minuteminute black history. What you didn't learn in school.

1:00.0

Barry Gordy's vision required him to navigate through a very racist music industry.

1:06.0

Spurned by the mainstream, he established an independent label, Motown.

1:11.0

But he knew the big labels and radio stations weren't going to just let him break in.

1:15.1

So he made a few compromises. If Motown was going to break through to

1:21.5

listeners across America and really give black artists a chance at fame and stardom.

1:27.0

He had to play the game.

1:29.0

One of the ways he did so?

1:31.0

Hiring an all-white marketing team.

1:35.3

With mainstream success as his first priority, he continues to make interesting decisions.

1:41.0

Gordy initially refused to release the legendary Marvin Gay hit What's Going On, for

1:45.8

example, because he thought its political message could alienate white listeners.

1:51.0

But he was eventually persuaded by Gay himself and proven wrong.

1:57.0

Gordy's legacy is very complex, but he did what he felt he needed to do to see his vision succeed.

...

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