whytheracecardisplayedDec 22, 20191 min readHow MTV Handled Accusations of Racism and Became More Inclusive When MTV launched in 1981, viewers struggled to find videos featuring black artists. The network so sparingly showcased African Americans in its early days that Rick James and David Bowie publicly took it to task. Despite the channel's embrace of black musicians such as Beyonce, Jay-Z and Kanye West today, there's no denying MTV's rocky history with black music.MEDIA/ENTERTAINMENT5 views
When MTV launched in 1981, viewers struggled to find videos featuring black artists. The network so sparingly showcased African Americans in its early days that Rick James and David Bowie publicly took it to task. Despite the channel's embrace of black musicians such as Beyonce, Jay-Z and Kanye West today, there's no denying MTV's rocky history with black music.
