Bandcamp’s Juneteenth Fundraiser Supports Social Justice

By External Source

Bandcamp will hold its second annual fundraiser on June 19, donating its share of sales to the  National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense Fund as a way to support its ongoing efforts to promote racial justice through litigation, advocacy and public education.

The online record store and music community held its first 'Juneteenth' fundraiser last year in response to the murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, as well as the long-standing structural oppression, state-sanctioned violence and daily racism faced by Black people and people of colour, including employees and artists in the Bandcamp community.

Juneteenth celebrates the emancipation of those who had been enslaved in the Confederate states. It's held annually on June 19, the anniversary date of the June 19, 1865 proclamation of freedom from slavery in Texas. Juneteenth originated in Galveston, Texas and is now celebrated throughout the United States.

"We’ve been inspired by and joined in the growing call for racial justice and equity, and have celebrated the many new reforms, practices, and policies that bring us closer to a world where Black people and people of colour can thrive without fear of violence and oppression," Bandcamp co-founder and chief executive officer Ethan Diamond said on the Bandcamp site in announcing the initiative. "At the same time, we are nowhere near where we need to be, and there is still much work to be done." – Continue reading Steve McLean’s feature on the Samaritanmag website.

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