Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” album cover. (Credit: Blair Caldwell / Parkwood Entertainment LLC)

Black artists and culture have shaped the country genre for generations, pulling from the melodies of Black hymns and incorporating African instruments like the banjo. 

Author Francesca Royster appears on “Black Voices” on June 16, 2023. (WTTW News)

In her new book, DePaul University professor Francesca Royster describes the process of becoming a mother and building a family as a queer Black woman.