"Baby, black promoters oppressed me before white promoters ever got hold of me. Don't talk skin to me"

In this quote, Mahalia Jackson is expressing her experience of discrimination and oppression within the music market. She is suggesting that black promoters was accountable for oppressing her prior to white promoters had the chance to do so. She requests that the person she is speaking to not focus on her skin color, as she wants to be evaluated based upon her talent and not the color of her skin.