American singer Dion DiMucci played and recorded his song “Runaround Sue” with African American musicians. But his music video would not be played in the south if it showed African American musicians. Hollywood executives chose to put White actors behind him in the music video, pretending to be his musicians, so they could make more money.
Which meant the African American musicians who were the true artists lost credit around the country, not just in the south. Just one more example of how systematic racism – racism that is embedded as normal practice within society or an organization, such as southern rules about what music videos are okay – hurt African Americans all around the country.
