"Jazz is a white term to define black people. My music is black classical music"

Nina Simone's quote speaks with the power dynamics of race in the music industry. Jazz is a term that was produced by white people to explain the music of black individuals. By referring to her music as "black classical music," Simone is asserting her own identity and recovering her music from the white-dominated industry. She is also highlighting the fact that black people have actually been producing and carrying out music for centuries, and that jazz is just one of many genres of music that has actually been created by black individuals. By referring to her music as "black classical music," Simone is stressing the significance of acknowledging the contributions of black people to the music industry. She is also making a statement about the power dynamics of race in the music market, and how white individuals have traditionally been the ones to specify and manage the music of black individuals.