‘An American riddle’: the black music trailblazer who died a white man

A fascinating new podcast delves into the life of Harry Pace, forgotten founder of the first black-owned record label in the US - and unlocks a shocking and prescient story about race

There are, according to the academic Emmett Price, six degrees of Harry Pace". He is referring to the man born in 1884 who founded America's first black-owned major record label; desegregated part of Chicago; mentored the founder of Ebony and Jet magazines and spearheaded the career of blues singer Ethel Waters. Pace is a figure who is seemingly everywhere at once, yet his name has been suspiciously absent from the history books.

This story encapsulates how progress comes about in America - and it is never in a straight line," says Jad Abumrad. It is often a cycle - one that contains hope and despair, smashed together."