Juneteenth, music & the movement

This is hard to admit but here I go...until a few weeks ago, I did not know what Juneteenth was. 

I'm pretty sure I had never heard about Juneteenth. 

Juneteenth is an unofficial holiday in the United States that commemorates Union Army general Gordon Granger's reading of federal orders in Galveston Texas on June 19th, 1865 proclaiming that all people who were enslaved in the U.S state were free. The Emancipation of Proclamation freed slaves on September 22nd, 1862 and the American Civil War (1861 - 1865) ended with the defeat of the Confederate States on May 9th, 1865 but slaves were not officially free or knew that they were officially free until June 19th. 

In short, Juneteenth (June 19th) is viewed as the day that slavery ended in the United States. 

Before the 13th Amendment was passed in 1865 a black enslaved person was treated as property and could be bought and sold. After the 13th Amendment was passed, where in the Constitution of the United States of America "abolished" slavery, slavery was then replaced with share cropping and convict leasing...which more or less brings us to where we are today. 

June is also Black Music Month. 

The music that we love either stems from black culture or is influenced by it.

 Rock N Roll came from Blues. Soul, Jazz, Hip-Hop, Rap...all black. 

Now, think about what musical genres stemmed from those.

Here are some ways the music industry is getting involved in the Black Lives Matter movement to make changes happened (a lot of people are speaking up and doing things, this list is just a little bit). 

 For 24 hours, starting as soon as the clock strikes midnight on Friday June 19th, the on-line music company headquartered out of Oakland California, Bandcamp will be donating 100% of their share of sales to the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) Legal Defense Fund. Music, merch, whatever you buy on their website today will go directly to help fight the good fight for racial justice. 

Yesterday afternoon, Mom + Pop music announced that they're joining Bandcamp's effort and will also be donating 100% of their share of sales made on Juneteenth to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. 

Roots Picnic has been an Annual Music Festival since 2008 in Philly. 

This year not only is the Festival going virtual BUT first lady herself, Michelle Obama is co-hosting it! Headliners SZA and Lil Baby play second fiddle to the huge clout that Michelle Obama has and will bring to the stage. It's a powerful move. It's a political move. It has people giddy with hope and reassurance as her presence will offer some form of much needed guidance. 

The event takes place about a week after Juneteenth,  on June 27th, but it's still relevant to mention here because it is an election year, people need to get out there and vote and Michelle Obama a great voice to advocate for that. Change can only happen if you get to the root of the problem (see what I did there? The root of the problem...The Roots...). So tune in and enjoy the show. 

Oh, and Live Nation, the promoter of Roots Picnic supports the movement for racial justice, too. 

June 21st marks the first official day of Summer which is known as the Summer Solstice. This weekend, June 19th - June 21st,  Natasha Knows Consulting is hosting "Summer SOULstice". 

It's an on-line musical experience, live streaming performances from black musicians and artists. It's also a fundraiser to raise money in support of black art, culture, advocacy, community building groups and organizations. Tune in on YouTube or Instagram Live at 7pm June 19th, 20th and 21st. 

Anderson .Paak released a new song "Lockdown" and it's accompanying music video last night at midnight EST (10pm PST). There's surely no coincidence that his new single, which depicts the era of COVID-19 and police brutality, dropped on Juneteenth, 2020. 

There's a lot more information on the inequality and injustices that black people have endured in America. 

There are documentaries, movies and shows (When They See Us and 13th on Netflix are great places to start). 

There are books to read. 

There are Black owned businesses of all sorts to support. 

There are companies that support Black Lives Matter  and on the flip side there are companies that support Trump and his racist ideals which you can stop supporting.    

There are organizations to donate to like Grass Roots Law Project, NAACP, Color of Change and so many more. 

You can donate, you can volunteer, you can protest, you can contact local and federal officials about racial injustices, you can get information about politicians running for office and vote for the ones who say they'll make a change (we're talking local and beyond here folks!). 

 If you don't know where to begin that's ok, join the club. Start anywhere, just log in and search, it will get easier once you start. There are so many ways to get involved. 

We're all a part of this time in history, what side will you be on?