Red Hair, Country Music, and Soul: The Reyna Roberts Effect

Photo by Oath Management

By Diamond Smith

Nashville, TN — In the heart of country music’s capital, where the soulful twang of guitars resonates through the air, a rising star has emerged, breaking through the stereotypical image of country music. Reyna Roberts, a 26-year-old African-American country singer with a shock of signature red hair, has made waves in the industry with her debut double album, “Bad Girl Bible,” released on Sept. 8, 2023.

Roberts, a native of Alaska, is turning heads and challenging perceptions about what country music should sound like. Much like her predecessors: Lil Nas X with his release of “Old Town Road”, Blanco Brown, Kane Brown, Mickey Guyton, and one of the greats: Jimmie Rodgers (Who is called the Father of Country Music).  According to Time Magazine, the blues with its chords of drums and stringed instruments deprived of, “slave spirituals, field songs, religious hymnals, or the works of professional black songwriters.”

Within the modern-day music landscape, we have seen a reclamation as well as a fusion of country music with acoustic rhythms, R&B influences, and a unique blend of acoustic rhythms, R&B influences, and a voice that speaks to the heart. Roberts has carved out a niche for herself in an industry that has often been criticized for its lack of diversity.

From her visual albums Stompin Grounds in 2020 and Pretty Little Devils, to her most recent, “Bad Girl Bible” is a game-changer. The double album features a rich tapestry of storytelling, blending traditional country themes with modern narratives. Each track is a testament to Roberts’ versatility as an artist, seamlessly fusing the raw emotion of country music with the sultry vibes of R&B. With her influences ranging from Beyonce to Carrie Underwood.

Photo by Reyna Roberts

Roberts’ music is her soulful voice as well as her authenticity which effortlessly traverses the highs and lows of love, loss, and self-discovery. The song’s lyrics delve into the complexities of embracing one’s authentic self, challenging societal norms, and celebrating individuality.

On Taste of Country, a mobile app that provides news, interviews, country music songs, and videos about country music, Roberts expressed in an interview, “Definitely getting acceptance and help from other artists gives me more confidence in myself,” she continues, “but then also realizing, like, ‘Hey, you’re a pretty bada– girl!’ Just having to remind myself [to not] feel too shy all the time, not going back to my introverted self, saying, ‘Girl, you got this! Remember who you are!’ That’s been essential for my mental state.”

Photo by Reyna Roberts

The album has garnered widespread acclaim not only for its groundbreaking sound but also for Roberts’ identity as a black woman who proudly shares her passion for country music and music in general. Reyna Roberts represents a new era in country music, conversations can be had about diversity and the true history and origins of country music in the black community. She encourages black women to be themselves midst a society that may try and put them in a box and other artists to explore and experiment with their unique styles.

In an industry where representation has been a long-standing issue, Roberts is breaking barriers and providing a fresh perspective. She is not only making a name for herself but also opening doors– as many have before her –for other artists who may not fit the traditional mold of a country star.

To Read More: Reyna Roberts Says It Took Time to Find Musical Self-Confidence | https://tasteofcountry.com/reyna-roberts-pretty-little-devils-new-music-2023/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

Photo by Reyna Roberts

NAACP’s ‘Be Revolutionary’ March in Photos

By: Tashanna Johnson

Photos are from the ‘Be Revolutionary’ march hosted by the UMass Amherst Chapter of the NAACP (National Association of the Advancement of Colored People) on Thursday, October 14 2021. This march took place after a series of racist incidents targeting Black students on campus occurred in September. Racist incidents on campus have been occurring for years.

Students stand at march. Signs read from second in on the left. “WE NEED CHANGE / ENOUGH IS ENOUGH” ; “HOLD UMASS ACCOUNTABLE FOR ALLOWING HATE” ; “BLACK STUDENTS MATTER”

 

“In years past on-campus newspaper have had places for black people…. people are putting their bodies and statements out there and their demands… This is how change happens. Change happens with dialogue and being present out here.”

Amilcar Shabazz
Afro-American Studies Professor

Students at march. White sign, written on it “HATE US CAUSE THEY AINT US!”

 “It was honestly all the black orgs together with the NAACP that’s how we were able to stay successful… We are so grateful that a lot of people showed up… It showed that they did really care about the community like that. This event needed to happen to show students that they have a support group. That they can always count on the black organizations on campus to stand for them, to fight for them, to advocate for them. Even when UMass isn’t doing it. We are so grateful that it was successful even though some of the vice-chancellors locked their doors, which was really disrespectful.”

Tina Noël
President of UMass Amherst Chapter of NAACP. Class of ’22, biology major.

Students at march. White sign reads “OVER IT.” . Brown sign reads “BLACK STUDENTS MATTER”

“No Justice No Peace”

“Black Students Matter”

“What do we want CHANGE! When do we want it NOW!”

Student chants

Students walking inside Whitmore Administrative Building. Students sign has graphic of raised fists, and megaphone. Sign reads in red text “WE NEED CHANGE!” and in black “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!’. Student is holding NAACP’s list of demands to UMass.

Students marching in Whitmore Administrative Building. Signs from far left: “BLACK STUDENTS MATTER / MEET OUR DEMANDS” ; “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”.

Students marching past South College. Sign reads “BLACK STUDENTS MATTER”.

For more information and to stay up to date, follow @ umassnaacp

Black Women in Medicine: New Student Organization Aims in Bringing Future Black Medical Professionals Together at UMass

By: Elienishka Ramos Torres

AMHERST – Many new student groups are forming at the University of Massachusetts, and among them is Black Women in Medicine. The group, which began its formation in early Spring 2020, has a mission in fostering community among pre-medical Black female students at UMass. 

Black Women in Medicine President Attiya Nurse, a junior majoring in biology and nutrition, said that the group started as a cool idea between friends, “I talked to [the other e-board members] after one class we all had together and we agreed that this would be something great to bring to the UMass community.” 

Nurse’s original inspiration came from her time at another school. “I had previously attended University of South Florida where this organization had started. When I transferred to UMass, I really thought it was something that was missing here.”

According to statistics gathered from University Analytics and Institutional Research conducted on the UMass population, only 6 six percent of the fall 2020 undergraduate student population were Black/African American. This means that the number of pre-medical Black students at UMass is also small. Navigating life as a pre-medical student at UMass, Nurse “couldn’t connect” with peers and questioned her sense of belonging in the spaces that she was in. 

Junior microbiology and anthropology double major Norsha Hydol, vice president of Black Women in Medicine, said that’s an issue the group plans on tackling: “We want to create a welcoming community for everyone on campus that would like to go into the medical field outside of just classes and really create a family.”

While creating a community at UMass is one goal, a main part of the group’s mission is addressing health discrepancies of Black people in the United States, which is caused by the lack of proper health services. While the COVID-19  pandemic has disproportionately affected low income racial minorities the most, the United States has a long history of racist and negligent health practices against Black people. 

Nurse believes that a rise in Black medical professionals would lead to less health issues that “disproportionately affect Black people.” 

One of the most striking examples of this is white medical professionals underestimating the pain that Black patients are in, which comes from a centuries old racist belief that different races have different pain tolerances. Both publicized experiences and studies have shown that doctors underestimate the pain their Black patients are in, in contrast to their non-Black patients. The findings in one specific study showed that physicians underestimated the pain of 47 percent of their Black patients in comparison to only underestimating the pain of 33 percent of non-Black patients. 

Structural racism has also unequally affected Black people in the U.S. in other areas of healthcare, as well. 

Research gathered by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that Black women were more likely to die at birth than Hispanic and white women. And, according to research from the National Center for Health Statistics, although heart disease has been a downward trend across different ethnic groups, Black people in 2016 were most likely to experience hypertension, and Black and non-Black-Hispanics were more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes.

The leaders of the organization’s long term goals also align with the group’s mission. 

Nurse hopes to become a clinical researcher studying obesity and diabetes, and wants to specialize in internal medicine while in graduate school. She wants to “bring awareness to the need to change the U.S. food environment in urban areas and help advance nutrition knowledge and communications in underserved communities.” Hydol aims on becoming a family physician after attending medical school. 

Black Women in Medicine plans on addressing the pandemic, lack of minority health professionals and health issues affecting the Black community, but Nurse says the group’s “main focus right now is finalizing the RSO process” that will help them establish themselves more within the campus community. 

For additional information, updates, and ways to support:

Instagram: bwm_amherst 

Email: bwmumass@gmail.com

A Letter from the Editor-In-Chief: Say their Names

By Brie Thompson-Bristol

I never forget that I’m a person of color, but I especially never forget that I am a black person. 

The police brutality against persons of color has never ceased. One of the police’s first purposes was to be a watchman for slaves. However, now they have evolved to the extreme. They have evolved to the point where it is “unnatural” for BiPOC people to drive or walk back alone from an event. 

Advocacy: Your new Neighborhood Watch Program

By: Brie Bristol

The public has no choice but to accept activists who march for the Black Lives Matter movement as their new neighborhood watchmen – who campaign for human rights when the government fails to.