Unearthing buried roots: The untold origins of country music

From the genre’s early Black and indigenous artists laying the foundation of the country music genre to transgender, gay and lesbian artists using music as an outlet throughout their search for freedom from the strict social norms of the early U.S., there is a large portion of country music’s origins that is often forgotten.While the history of country music is filled with love and power for some, it is also a legacy of pain, struggle and the repercussions of settler colonialism.