The above passage shows a small fraction of the racism that plagued the gospel music industry of the South in the 1950s. The origin of gospel music is widely disagreed upon, whether it stems from the Protestant City Revival Movement of 1850 or from the Black Pentecostal Church around 1895 (Banjo 116). It is agreed, however, that the rhythm and verbal expressions of slaves in America revolutionized religious music, which later developed into Southern gospel music (Banjo 116). Unfortunately, this fact did not change the stigma surrounding race. In actuality, it perpetuated the further split into "white" and "black" gospel music.

While black gospel music stayed primarily in the church, white gospel music became a travelling phenomenon:

"in the early 1920s the publishers of gospel shaped-note song-books began to hire quartets to travel throughout the country singing the new songs and popularizing the new song-books. These quartets became so successful that several of them broke away from the publishers and began separate careers. Thus professional gospel music" (Wolfe 73).

This commercialization catapulted the white gospel franchise, which was the start for many of the popular country artists of the 1950s, who all gained recognition and notoriety during their time travelling to tent revivals throughout the South. As depicted in the exchange between Shannon Pearl and Bone in Bastard Out of Carolina, the people that booked the acts for the revivals, such as Mr. Pearl, refused to entertain the thought of African American performers because there "an't no money in handling colored" (Allison 170). Despite the rich history of black gospel music embedded in African American heritage and the influence of said heritage on gospel music as a whole, the segregation between the two factions was undeniable, endorsing the exclusivity of the Southern tent revivals to white gospel only.

The racism Shannon blatantly expresses directly reflects the mindset amongst white tent revivalists concerning black gospel music. This interaction ruins Bone's frienship with Shannon, as she is so attracted to this, what she considers to be, beautiful music. Bone is appalled that Shannon has the gall to discriminate against someone based on what they look like, as she has been tortured for the fact that she is albino. This sparks Bone's disillusionment with the tent revivals and gospel music. Her obsession with both wanes after discovering that the music and the message is not the main focus--it is all about money. This materialistic view of the one thing that inspired her hope pushes Bone away from her notions of salvation. Her only connection to God is severed by the revelation of the interwoven racism that permeates the white gospel music and tent revival industries.