Terminology
Such records were labeled "race records" in reference to their marketing to African Americans, but white Americans gradually began to purchase such records as well. In the 16 October 1920 issue of the Chicago Defender, an African American newspaper, an advertisement for Okeh records identified Mamie Smith as "Our Race Artist". Most of the major recording companies issued special "race" series of records between the mid 1920s and the 1940s.
Although in hindsight the term "race record" may seem to be a derogatory one, in the early 20th century the African American press routinely used the term "the Race" to refer to African Americans as a whole, and used the terms "race man" or "race woman" to refer to African American individuals who showed pride and support for their people and culture; compare the cognate term "La Raza" for Latin American cultural identity.
Read more about this topic: Race Record