Jeff Tweedy of Wilco fame has often spoken of the debt popular music owes to overlooked black creators, and he’s volunteered to spearhead a bold plan: reparations payments from the white dominated music industry.
Let’s let Jeff explain, as he did to Rolling Stone.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say our culture wouldn’t be our culture without black genius. There’s a shameful history there, and there are things the industry should still be ashamed of. There are things about the way Black artists are treated today that are different and unfair. It isn’t an equal playing field… I’m hoping to be able to put together a coalition of black community leaders and people within the music industry that would help me administer and direct and be somewhat of a board of trustees.
We’re in the early stages of that, and there’s still an opportunity, in the short term, to continue the discussion as best we can with BMI, and start there, because it’s where I’m registered.” He also spoke of his kids “They’re both very committed to the community and the cause. They’re in a position where, like a lot of white people trying to be good allies and trying to understand what our role is moving forward, are advocating for a lot of listening and a lot of following.
“I just think that it was important for a white artist to be the one to come out and address this openly, as a conversation starter…”
Conversation started.
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