 In hindsight the term "race record" may seem derogatory, but in the early 20th century the African-American press routinely used the term "the Race" to refer to African Americans as a whole and "race man" or "race woman" to refer to an African-American individual who showed pride in and support for African-American people and culture

Marketing race records was especially important in the late 1920s, when the radio brought competition to the record industry.To maximize exposure, record labels advertised in catalogs, brochures, and newspapers popular among African Americans, like the "Chicago Defender".They carefully implemented words and images that would draw in their targeted audience.