Black country veterans, including Linda Martell, Charley Pride, and Darius Rucker have shared their experiences performing in country music spaces, including the racial slurs and threats directed at them. As both a Black fan and writer of country music criticism, I’ve thought twice about bringing my child to a country music festival or concert with me, out of fear she might witness or be the target of another fan’s violence. Perhaps we could dub this the “Beyoncé Effect,” a wave that lifts all who surround her, but Beyoncé’s impact goes beyond opening the door wider for a handful of Black country artists. Cowboy Carter also opens up conversations about Black creativity and imaginative freedom within country music and beyond, planting the seeds for deeper social change. Her books include Black Country Music: Listening for Revolutions (University of Texas Press, 2022), Sounding Like a No-No: Queer Sounds and Eccentric Acts, (2013), and Choosing Family: A Memoir of Queer Motherhood and Black Resistance (2023).