Country singer Mickey Guyton started off the new year calling out a shockingly racist comment she received on Twitter. On Saturday the 38-year-old “Black Like Me” singer posted a screenshot of the racist message in the hopes of raising awareness among her fans of the hate she and others in her community receive. “@MickeyGuyton We don’t want your kind in country music!” the tweet to Guyton started. “All you people talk about is your god damn race and skin color! Don’t you effers have Rap, Hip Hop & R&B? Gotta ruin and destroy s – – t with your woke bs! Just like y’all did with MTV! Get the F out of our country music!” Guyton captioned the post, “Started off 2022 with a good ole batch of racism. I show you this so you guys continue the fight for equality and love and acceptance.” Fellow country music stars rushed to her defense in the comments, along with other music titans, celebrities and fans. “Oh you know… just another Saturday for us. That fact that he took time out of his day to write this while having a video game [as] his profile pic. He’s a joke. Love sis,” black country musician Jimmie Allen wrote. Questlove commented, “We here standing with you. Keep goin! (Keep receipts too).” “So unfortunate and very sad,” Al Roker’s wife Deborah Roberts wrote. “Stay strong and focused on your beautiful work your beautiful soul!” Guyton also reposted the Tweet in her own thread with her personal brand of humor, saying “Aww little Sammy is upset in 2022. Bless your little heart.” “You so fn strong girl,” Kane Brown replied. The user who originally tweeted the racist comment has since been suspended by the social media platform. The 2021 Country Music Awards co-host is known to take a stance against racism and sexism through her music with songs like “Black Like Me,” “Remember Her Name,” “Love My Hair” and “What Are You Gonna Tell Her?” see also In 2020, she made history when she was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Country Solo Performance category — making her the first black solo female artist to earn a Grammy nomination in a country music category. She picked up three more nominations this year for Best Country Solo Performance, Best Country Song and Best Country Album. Despite big names like Guyton, Brown and Allen entering the pop culture scene, a lack of diversity in the country music genre has long been considered an issue. In an interview with the New Yorker in June 2021, Guyton reflected on her career and how her race contributed to Nashville’s often ham-handed attempt to bring more diversity to the scene. “I look back in my career, and I was a token in so many different ways,” she shared with the magazine. “I remember there would be corporate events where — in order to make the company look good — who did they have front and center as one of the artists they’re excited about?” she asked, referring to herself. And Guyton’s stance on social media haters has a history as well. “I’ve been called the N-word enough that it just kind of rolls off,” she said. “But when I do get racial slurs coming at me, I post them. My thinking is, if somebody wants to spew hate at me, I’ll gladly give them the platform to do it. You were brave enough to search out my name, say these words, send me that message — and now I have receipts.”
