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How Did Motown Influence White Culture

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Motown’s Influence on White Culture When the 1960’s are mentioned many things come to mind. The Civil Rights Movement, the Cold War, Kennedy’s assassination, the Space Race, and the Vietnam War as well as many others. The 60’s were full of ups and downs and was a very eventful. During this time segregation was starting to break down, and new forms of art and music broke through the barrier. Young people began to go against the traditional values that their parents had. The 1960’s was a time of change for the better. Motown influenced white culture greatly through the founding of the company, its style of music, the crossover between cultures, and its participation in certain movements. First, Motown’s founding and overall business …show more content…

During the time of Motown the way music was marketed was different. Music most often made for, and marketed towards white people, was considered pop music. Music marketed towards black people were considered R&B or “race” music. This created a large cultural divide between white and black listeners due to not many listening to both styles, but conforming to their racial type. Berry Gordy changed this racial barrier to make it accessible for people of all color, and making it appealing and enjoyable. Marian Smith Holmes said, “Motown combined elements of blues, gospel, swing, and pop with a thumping backbeat for a new dance music that was instantly recognizable” (Smithsonian.com). The creation of what would become known as the “Motown sound” led to a whole new style of music that could only truly be classified as the motown sound. This music was a mixture of a little bit of everything, so it gave everyone an excuse to listen to it. This style of music made a way for white people to better understand black culture and to be able to adjust to it. Due to this change in the knowledge that white people knew, it led to a way for them to socialize and accept black people easier. The Motown sound gave them a conversation topic that the two races could easily discuss. The Motown sound helped lead to young generation out of segregation and towards

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