“Black Like Me” is a ballad that tells the story of Mickey Guyton’s life growing up in Arlington, Texas, the sixth-most conservative city in the United States. Despite growing up into adulthood, she still faces challenges due to her skin color, and does not consider America to be truly free due to her experiences with institutionalized and social racism.

The song was released in June of 2020, when there were many Black Lives Matter protests across the country due to the murder of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin, with three other police officers as bystanders. In April of 2021, Chauvin was found guilty on three charges, including third-degree murder.