In a statement released on July 13, Goldenvoice, the event magnate behind festivals like Coachella and Stagecoach, announced the launch of a new team, GV Black. GV Black is dedicated to amplifying black voices within Goldenvoice as well as within the larger Coachella community. An excerpt from the statement reads,
“The black employees at Goldenvoice have formed GV Black, a team to help us create initiatives to highlight the black experience at our organization, and expand representation of the black community at Coachella.”
The new initiative comes as a response to current unrest due to rampant police brutality and systemic racism in the United States. In the statement, Goldenvoice announces that it has committed to ongoing efforts to promote equality and fight racial injustice, and acknowledges that these issues are not limited to the current moment, and therefore must be addressed as part of a conscious, continuous effort moving forward.
Read the full statement below.
Featured image: Rich Fury/Getty Images for Coachella
Make no mistake—dance music is born from black culture. Without black creators, innovators, selectors, and communities, the electronic dance music we hold so dear would simply not exist. In short, dance music is deeply indebted to the global black community and we need to be doing more. Black artists and artists of color have played a profound role in shaping the sound and culture of dance music and now more than ever, it is necessary for everyone in the music community to stand up for the people that have given us so much. Mix Session pledges to make every effort to be a better ally, a stronger resource, and a more accountable member of the global dance music community. Black Lives Matter—get involved here:
Black Lives Matter
My Block My Hood My City
National Lawyers Guild Mass Defense Program
Black Visions Collective
Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Legal Defense Initiative
The Bail Project
The Next Level Boys Academy
Committee to Protect Journalists
