<div>In April of 2021, I launched a wordpress blog under the domain name of “BlackOpry.com.” It was an effort to heal my relationship with country music. I felt broken after watching the world shift and finally coming to terms with the fact that the people who were making the music that I loved most, did not share the same values and ethics as I did. There was no way I could’ve predicted where this “blog” would take me, or what it would turn into. I knew I needed connections within country music - I was looking for other fans - that were a better reflection of who I was in order to continue to enjoy the genre. The overwhelming response that I got from both country music fans as well as Black artists looking to break into the genre both shocked me and changed the course of my life.
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<div>Since launching that blog, The Black Opry has turned into a brand, a movement, and my full time job. My mission very quickly changed from healing my own relationship with the genre to changing the culture of country music. In early 2022, The Black Opry Revue tour was launched to get Black artists in roots music on more stages across the country. In just two years, there have been over 150 shows on the Black Opry Revue Tour (from clubs to festivals to cruises) and put over 120 black artists on stages throughout the country. Over $300,000 in artist wages have been paid out and over $50,000 has been spent on hotels and Airbnb's ensuring artists have safe, comfortable and free (to them) lodging as they tour with The Black Opry Revue. The Black Opry has been featured in a number of national news and media outlets including The Kelly Clarkson Show, Rolling Stone, Billboard, CNN, Hulu, HBO and more. In 2023, The Black Opry was featured in an exhibit in the Country Music Hall of Fame. The founder and co-director have been named Billboard 2024 Country Power Players. What we are doing is working, but we’ve reached a pivotal moment.
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<div>While our touring business remains going strong, more resources are needed in order to grow. Before launching The Black Opry, I was working as a flight attendant. I didn’t have resources to invest into the business. Everything that's been gained has been earned along the way. In the same vein, I am learning how to navigate this space along the way as well. And while I have been fortunate in the success that the business has seen so far, what I am coming to terms with is that I can not do everything. I have gotten to a point where I must ask for help. There is currently an urgent need for organizational support, specifically (but not limited to) the roles of social media, marketing, and publicity.
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<div>I am grateful to anyone who shares the dream of a better country music industry with me and invests in the work I am doing to see that vision come to life.
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<div>Funds will go towards the following:
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<li>Employee Wages
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<li>Publicist
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<li>Marketing (Ads, Consulting, Etc)
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<li>Social Media Support
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<li>Organizational Expenses (including but not limited to website expenses and ongoing admin subscriptions such as Canva and Quickbooks)
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<div>Please note that we are not a Non Profit org.
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Karla Howe

Matthew Moon

Mary Keilhauer

Caroline Keilhauer

brayan santana

Sabrina Schmidt

Christopher Lockett

Dawn Bailey

Anonymous

Ian Saint

Fiona Boyd

Jill Parrett

Madeleine Kelson

Edward Parkman

Rue Walther

Nina Jo Smith

Andria Brown

Help The Black Opry, Changing the Culture of Country Music

Help The Black Opry, Changing the Culture of Country Music

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