How does Black music both reflect and shape musical expression at the intersectionality of race, gender, and music? How do spirituality, mysticism, and/or exoticism come to play in the public perception of Black musicians, and how do performers negotiate a living vis-à-vis stereotypes or expectations? Black Music Matters: The Magical Negro is a historical trek through African American musical expressions from the Motherland to the Mothership. Starting with Negro folk music, we journey through minstrelsy, blues, jazz, soul, hip-hop and Afrofuturism, and explore those questions through thoughtful analysis and lively discussion of sound, text, and film.