Here’s Why The Music Industry Has Gone Quiet Today
#TheShowMustBePaused.
A number of record labels and industry businesses will today show solidarity with protests in the United States by implementing a social media “blackout”.
Protests kicked off in the US last week following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis. Officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck, who could be heard saying “I can’t breathe” repeatedly in video footage of the incident. Chauvin has since been charged with murder.
A number of artists have stepped up and showed solidarity with the #BlackLivesMatter movement in the week since, and some — Halsey, Shawn Mendes, Ariana Grande, Tinashe, Kehlani, and more — have attended protests.
Record labels such as Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, Sony, Interscope Geffen A&M , Caroline, etcetc, Mushroom, and more have vowed to “disconnect from work and reconnect with our community” on June 2.
Some labels, like Interscope and Atlantci, have committed to not release any new music for the entire week, and will instead donate money to Black Lives Matter causes. It’s unclear whether other record labels involved will contribute to charity.
Tour promoter Live Nation and Spotify have also committed to the blackout.
— Live Nation AUS & NZ (@LiveNationOzNz) June 1, 2020
For information on how you can donate and assist the #BlackLivesMatter movement and Indigenous people, please see the below resources.
If you’re wondering how you can make a difference, here are some current campaigns that you can follow:
First Nations Deaths in Custody Watch
You can donate to:
Justice for David Dungay Junior
Aboriginal focussed pages that you can support:
Blackfulla Revolution
Black Anarchist
Warriors of the Aboriginal Resistance – WAR
Sovereign Union
Archival Decolonist
FISTT
Stop Black Deaths in Custody Australia
Individual Aboriginal activists who post about Aboriginal issues:
Beautifuldeadly Decolonisation
Australian Indigenous Politics
And you should also educate yourself on the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folk with police:
Blood on the Wattle: Massacres and Maltreatment of Aboriginal Australians by R. Bruce Elder
Why Warriors Lie Down And Die by Richard Trudgen.