In the early half of the 20th century in America, music had a racial aspect to it. Minstrel shows were big within the white communities, and they featured performances by white people in black face. This was the most popular form of music in America at the time even though it ridiculed blacks. An instrument that was big at the time was the banjo which surprisingly came from African roots. They were being used in Minstrel shows due to their popularity, and soon became associated with the white community instead of blacks. The song that had the most buzz during this time was the ‘Yellow Rose of Texas.’ This was an anthem about the confederacy which emphasized the separation of blacks from whites in the south. Minstrel shows led to more racial problems as Jim Crow was seen as the face of them, being a caricature of a black man carried on derogatory terms for blacks. This led to the creation of Jim Crow laws and kept blacks oppressed, as they weren’t seen as equal. It wasn’t until the 1940’s where blacks were finally being able to participate in Minstrel shows and reclaiming stereotypes and assuming their role as people in society.