Amplifying anti-racism in the music community
Writing a normal newsletter feels inappropriate this week. Instead, this issue will amplify the response within the music community to this historic moment.
The systemic racism that led to the killings of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor will not change without action, so here’s a roundup of anti-racist action items and verified organizations to support, sourced from Indivisible, Pitchfork, GQ, Oh My Rockness, and She Shreds. Please consider giving if you’re able.
Bail funds for activists: The Bail Project // Look up your local bail fund here. (Minnesota Freedom Fund and Brooklyn Community Bail Fund have both been overwhelmed with support and posted statements about where to redirect donations.)
MN local orgs: Reclaim the Block // Black Visions Collective // North Star Health Collective
Independent media coverage: Unicorn Riot
GoFundMe for George Floyd’s family: George Floyd Family/Memorial Fund
Colin Kaepernick’s campaign to raise awareness on interacting with law enforcement: Know Your Rights Camp
Legal services to defend civil rights: ACLU // NAACP Legal Defense Fund
Combat voter suppression: Fair Fight
The Fader’s Lawrence Burney wrote beautifully about George Floyd’s contribution to hip-hop. Excerpt below — read the full piece here.
“George Floyd — the 46-year-old Black man who was suffocated to death when a white police officer planted a knee onto his neck earlier this week in Minnesota — was more than the last few grueling moments of his life that were captured. A native of Houston's Third Ward, Floyd was an affiliate of DJ Screw's legendary Screwed Up Click. He rapped under the name Big Floyd. Shortly after his death, fans of S.U.C. began sharing what many Texans had already been aware of: Floyd's features on Screw tapes from the ‘90s.
It shouldn't add value to George Floyd's life that he had close proximity to one of the most innovative figures in hip-hop's history. But this knowledge does add the necessary color for the public to get some sense of what he meant to his community while he was living. He contributed to a form of hip-hop that has garnered international respect, proudly represented his hometown, and moved to Minneapolis for a chance to expand as a person.”
Beyoncé used her platform to support petitions demanding justice for George Floyd on Change.org, Color of Change, We Can’t Breathe, and NAACP.
Killer Mike, of hip-hop duo Run The Jewels, spoke for eight minutes to Atlanta in a widely-shared speech.
Taylor Swift — who “until recently was famously apolitical” according to the Washington Post — posted in response to our president’s horrific tweet. And Billie Eilish wrote an essay supporting Black Lives Matter on Instagram.
Note: It’s impossible to share all of the artists and music journalists who have spoken out, so I shared a few that stood out most. Billboard has a helpful roundup of more responses here, and many industry leaders are calling for a “Blackout Tuesday” this week. And I want to emphasize that many artists I’ve shared in Hear Hear (like Tasha, Ric Wilson, Clairo, Baby Rose, Del Water Gap, HAIM, and more) and writers I admire have spoken out on their platforms as well.
NPR’s Code Switch podcast about race and identity shared “some of the songs that are giving all of us life during this especially taxing moment.”
Music publication She Shreds put together a fantastic list of anti-racism resources for white and non-black musicians. While I’m not a musician, I’m a white person who constantly shares the work of black artists in this newsletter, and I vow to keep working to become a better ally.
Of course, new music was still released over the last couple of weeks, so I’ve added a few recent favorites — from Remi Wolf, Gabriel Garzón-Montano, dijon, Nation of Language, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Mk.gee — to the Hear Hear playlist.
Thanks for reading, as always, and I hope you’re holding up okay.