Among all the music streaming/purchasing services, Bandcamp has consistently been one of the best options and most morally conscientious out there. Even as the COVID-19 pandemic began, Bandcamp was one of the first to offer days where 100% of the proceeds of an artist’s music went to the artist and the artist alone, with the site taking no cut.
Now, Bandcamp is pledging 100% of sales every Juneteenth (June 19th, the day in 1865 when enslaved African-Americans were informed of their liberation in Texas, the final former Confederate State where slavery was abolished), this month and every Juneteenth hereafter, to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. They’re also allocating an “additional $30,000 per year to partner with organizations that fight for racial justice and create opportunities for people of color.”
“The current moment is part of a long-standing, widespread, and entrenched system of structural oppression of people of color, and real progress requires a sustained and sincere commitment to political, social, and economic racial justice and change. We’ll continue to promote diversity and opportunity through our mission to support artists, the products we build to empower them, who we promote through the Bandcamp Daily, our relationships with local artists and organizations through our Oakland space, how we operate as a team, and who and how we hire.”
This pledge signifies that fighting against racism and intolerance is not a one-and-done affair. It is a struggle that must be constantly and consistently sought after; even when the job is done, there is always more to do. We stand with Bandcamp, with Black Lives Matter, and the families of all those affecting by police violence.
You can read Bandcamp’s full statement here.
