#change
MUSIC
#ChangeMusic is a vertical within the Color Of Change #ChangeIndustries initiative that is dedicated to eradicating racism and addressing exploitative practices in the music industry.
With the power of Black artists, producers, executives, and cultural leaders combined, we invite companies and industry leaders to address how the music industry harms Black artists, while increasing the number of Black people in leadership positions and tearing down barriers to equal treatment.
#ChangeMusic empowers music industry allies by providing a Roadmap with five steps and industry-specific subcategories to address the harmful experiences of racism and exclusion towards Black artists in the music industry.
The #changemusic
Roadmap
CONCRETE STEPS TO DRIVE MEANINGFUL CHANGE
#ChangeMusic empowers music industry allies by providing a Roadmap to move beyond conversation and intention, implementing tangible steps to advance racial justice. It is an invitation to record labels, artists, producers, and venues to step into their full power as voices of our culture and take action to ensure the industry is working toward racial justice rather than against it.
The five universal steps are:
Imagine how the music industry can commit to being more ethical to its Black music creators who historically have been dispossessed of their intellectual property and denied ownership of their creative work.
In order to achieve true racial justice, theremust be both meaningful investments in as well as agency granted to Black music creators.
You prioritize what you measure. This broader workplace equity step requires complete and accurate data collection on Black workers in the music industry at every level, including within companies, unions, on boards, and associations.
Throughout history, Black music creators — from recording artists to producers — have amplified and catalyzed social change through their art and organic relationships with movement organizing. This work must be encouraged, centered, and resourced to ensure contemporary music creation continues to advance racial justice. Companies should incentivize and invest in original music and creative work that provokes awareness and proactive support of racial equity and social change.
The music industry plays a crucial role in providing safe spaces for Black people and setting the soundtrack for Black life. Artists, labels, and venues can further prioritize the safety of Black people by creating and uplifting content that addresses racism and violence, divesting from police for personal security and events and providing resources for artists, audiences, and employees that prioritize physical and mental safety.
If the rules around whose communities we support stay the same, none of these steps are possible. The unwritten rules keep the Black community under siege, robbed of resources, equal access, visibility, and rights. The music industry must invest in the Black community by aligning and partnering with the Black community, promoting civic advocacy and participation, and influencing politics to enhance racial justice.