In one of the worst hit times in recent history due to Covid -19, another old ugly monster has reared it’s head once again in the form of racial injustice. This has sparked worldwide protests for the recent murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer who has only now been charged with murder, while we continue wait to see the fait of the other three officers in question.
On Monday, the music community banded together to start the Blackout Tuesday movement which would promote everyone to put a pause to posting on social media in order to educate themselves on racial issues by disconnecting from work and reconnecting with the community. We saw this happen not only in the United States but across the world. This has come along – side the ‘Black lives Matter’ movement which we strongly support.
This is an issue that has long been in the face of the black music community. There are thousands of stories where black musicians have not been paid for the gigs they have done, others have been cheated into playing for free, and even the likes of Miles Davis have been brutally assaulted for the colour of their skin. The music industry makes billions per year from back culture in the arts and it is only correct that the profits are part invested into those communities.
We are proud that the music community was able to start something of this magnitude, but how can we continue to ensure that this is not a one off ‘post’ that is forgotten about in the next six months? It is imperative that we continue the conversation in our schools, universities, colleges, communities, workplaces and our social lives. As the saying goes – “Knowledge is Power”.
But knowing about something and acting on it are two very different things. So it begs the question, what can we do as a music community? We can assure that black musicians are represented equally in our organisations, this is not to give someone a free hand, but it is to promote equality. There are many companies who endorse black musicians and make money form them but have yet to speak up on the issue. As long as record sales are high and revenue is flowing in, they may see very little point in approaching such a sensitive issue in order to stay neutral, but silence is compliance.
We all know about black history month which is a great initiative, but is this enough to educate our young ones? Music is something everybody hears in some way shape or form. Music has been a transcendent tool in communication for thousands of years. It’s so important because it carries a message that people can relate to. Bob Marley’s music is still so prevalent today and so is the message that it carries. The Lyrics, “How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look” has the same weight as it did in 1980. We can apply this message to thousands of injustices in the black community. Bob Marley’s message was about love, he believed that we could literally cure racism with love for one another.
Lets promote equality for our brothers and sisters, lets stand up for justice and eradicate racial inequalities.
#blacklivesmatter
Old pirates, yes, they rob I
Sold I to the merchant ships….