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Music should be something for everyone and anyone. However, it appears that some people are still limited to being able to enjoy and create certain genres of music because it doesn't "fit" their type. Some people may think that because of stereotypes and other factors, music is racially and ethnically segregated to this day. Take punk rock music for instance. Depending on the person, this sub-genre of rock could be viewed as not as diverse as it maybe should be.

 

There are of course diverse genres of music, but are the music genres diverse enough when it comes to race and ethnicity? Looking into the diversity of punk rock music, there are polls and surveys that paint this music genre as one that is not as diverse, and that doesn't really have a big impact on Black communities and other POC (people of color) communities. However, there are people who see things a little bit differently. Understanding the public's perception of diversity in punk rock music vs. the reality is important for people of different races and ethnicities who do not want to be put into a box when it comes to their musical taste.​

Statista Research Department published a poll on the public opinion on the racial diversity of selected music genres in the United States as of May 2018. This poll consists of 1, 108 respondents who were 18 years old or older. Rap/hip-hop is considered to be the most racially diverse according to 25% of respondents who thought so. Aside from 24% of respondents considering every genre to be racially diverse, the second most diverse is pop music with 20 % of respondents. Punk rock is tied with hard rock/metal with 7% of respondents saying that they believe this genre of music to be the most diverse. Although punk wasn’t considered as the least diverse, it wasn’t in the top 5 genres that are seen as the most.

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To go with Statista’s research, a poll by YouGov lists the most popular punk and punk rock music artists in America. The number one band is The Police with 55% of respondents. The number two band is Green Day with 52% of respondents, and number three is the Ramones with 43% of respondents. The list continues with 17 more spots. In this list, you'll see that it doesn’t include predominately Black or other POC artists or bands.

 

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The general public not considering punk rock as the most diverse music genre (along with racially and ethnically diverse bands not being part of YouGov’s most popular punk and punk rock music list) is a bit disconcerting, especially if you think about the roots of punk. 
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Believe it or not, punk was and still is influenced by many Black artists. Punk in the western world took influence from Black artists in reggae, r&b, and rock n' roll. According to musician, writer, Ph.D., and co-founder of the Punk Scholars Network, Mike Dines, White punk artists and bands in the U.K. took a lot of influence from reggae. For example, The Ruts is an English punk rock band that consists of four White men who are heavily influenced by reggae. Some artists had close relationships with reggae musicians. They would visit Jamaica and take what they learned back with them to incorporate that sound into their music. In the video below, Dines shows examples of punk rock artists influenced by reggae.

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Punk rock formed in the U.S. during the 1960s and like in the U.K. it really developed during the 70s. With its emergence in the states, it welcomed some of the first and most influential bands. But would you believe me if I said that some of those influential bands during that time were people of color? Bad Brains is one of the legendary and very influential Black punk rock groups to take for example. The group came from Washington, D.C. during that time. It's also important to note that D.C. had many nicknames then. Two that are relevant to this discussion are Chocolate City and D.C. Hardcore. Chocolate City is in reference to D.C.'s growing Black population and D.C. Hardcore is in reference to its epic punk scene. Now a blues bar, Madam's Organ, located in Adams Morgan in D.C., was once a "rowhouse" where Bad Brains first got their start, according to WTOP News.

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From those two names given to describe the country's capital, someone could easily assume that a lot of Black bands would have filled the punk rock scene. But this is a great example of why you should never make assumptions. Racism and stereotypes played like a couple of factors that prevented Black and POC musicians who may have wanted to make music in this sub-genre from having the space to do so back then. It could also be that the majority of people in certain racial groups were and possibly still are just naturally attracted to certain music genres. An individual's location and life experiences should also be taken into account.

 

According to Dines, "punk was a middle-class art school counter-culture." In the United Kingdom, punk was more so White culture and reggae was Black culture. A lot plays into why this is so. Politics, the monarchy, and the recession that occurred in the U.K. during the early years of punk rock have contributed to how punk became the music that attracted "White middle-class high school kids," said Dines. Specifically, during the recession in the 70s in the U.K., is when right-wing extremist rock music emerged from the skinhead sub-culture. This emergence had a negative impact on inclusion in punk. 
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