In the wake of the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Dion Johnson, and an unconscionable number of other Black people in this country, two Black women in the music industry—Atlantic Records executive Jamila Thomas and Platoon Records Senior Artist Campaign Manager Brianna Agyemang—have called for an industry-wide "Black Out" on Tuesday. They've urged everyone in the business, from major labels to artists, to take a day of pause, and consider the fact that the industry has long exploited Black people for their work without giving them their fair share of the money it reaps. Some have praised the initiative for calling attention to that long-standing inequity. Others have criticized it, arguing that—beyond taking a day to acknowledge the issue—labels need to invest more money into their Black employees and artists, and enact policies to ensure the industry becomes more equitable.
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Meanwhile, the Black Out has expanded beyond the world of music, prompting countless people to post black squares on their social media feeds with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Well-intentioned as that may be, as Nylah Burton points out, a hashtag typically reserved for critical resources like links to petitions, fundraisers, and guides to protesting safely has become flooded with those images. Now, Burton writes, "critical help is getting drowned out by—quite frankly, useless—black squares."Regardless of your stance on the Black Out, one thing is certain: The music industry has always exploited Black people and Black culture for white gain, and continues to do so to this day. That has to change.Below, we've provided a handful of ways to get involved in the fight for racial justice in the music industry. As is the case with the movement writ large, pushing for racial equality in the music industry can't be limited to a single day, a single month, or a single year. We encourage you to practice what we've listed here—not just today, but every day.If you like any form of popular music, you like Black art. Every genre from rock, pop, country, electronic, and hip-hop comes from Black musicians, and over the years, they've all been appropriated and exploited by white consumers and the music industry. During this time, it's imperative to give your dollars directly to Black artists, Black-owned record labels, and Black communities, especially as many of these artists are donating to bail funds, and charitable causes, and are out in the streets protesting for basic human rights and an end to police violence themselves.There are many ways to support Black creators and musicians and millions of people to individually support. You can start by checking your recent plays on streaming services, and buying merch from those artists directly from their websites. Consider buying from Black artists on Bandcamp on Friday, June 5, when the platform is once again waiving their revenue share on all merch and music purchases made on the site. You can also do this on June 19, when the platform is donating their profits to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. While the reflection and hard conversations coming to the music industry will continue long after this blackout, giving money from your wallet to Black artists is one thing that can be done immediately, conveniently, and repeatedly.
Purchase music and merch directly from Black artists and Black-owned labels
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Read and Share the Work of Black Music and Culture Journalists
- Hanif Abdurraqib
- Timmhotep Aku
- Ivie Ani
- Angelica Jade Bastien
- DeForrest Brown, Jr.
- Lawrence Burney
- Ecleen Luzmila Caraballo
- Tracy Clayton
- Naima Cochrane
- Mankaprr Conteh
- Cameron Cook
- Kristin Corry
- Taylor Crumpton
- Allison P. Davis
- Sarah Hagi
- Hunter Harris
- Minda Honey
- Jazmine Hughes
- Shamira Ibrahim
- Craig Jenkins
- Morgan Jerkins
- Myles E. Johnson
- Brian Josephs
- Britt Julious
- Rawiya Kameir
- Dani Kwateng-Clark
- Janel Martinez
- Marcus J. Moore
- Tomi Obaro
- Sylvia Obell
- Jason Parham
- Micah Peters
- Alphonse Pierre
- Noel Ransome
- Dan Runcie
- Aaron Smarter
- Trey Smith
- Doreen St. Félix
- Lakin Starling
- Sharine Taylor
- Matt Trammell
- David Turner
- Reggie Ugwu
- Ernest Wilkins
- Briana Younger
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