Stormzy has announced a £10 million donation to Black causes fighting racial inequality, justice reform, and Black empowerment in the UK. Sharing the philanthropic endeavor via his company #Merky, the grime giant will contribute the monetary amount over the course of ten years. Stormzy has been extremely vocal in his support of the Black Lives Matter movement, having spoken out in 2016 about the deaths of Philando Castile and other Black Americans at the hands of police and decried British politics.
“All I can do is urge everyone to do more, that’s what I’m going to do. Protest, march, donate, speak out, call out bullshit, build within your community, help those in need etc. Whatever it is that needs to be done,” stated the rapper in 2016.
Stormzy joins a growing list of artists—including BTS and The Weeknd—who have pledged financial contributions to the re-ignition of the fight against racism and police brutality, following the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and more. His £10 million donation is nearly half of his estimated net worth of £20 – £25 million. In a statement, the rapper said:
“The uncomfortable truth that our country continuously fails to recognise and admit is that black people in the UK have been at a constant disadvantage in every aspect of life – simply due to the colour of our skin. I’m lucky enough to be in the position I’m in and I’ve heard people often dismiss the idea of racism existing in Britain by saying, ‘If the country’s so racist how have you become a success?!’ And I reject that with this: I am not the UK’s shining example of what supposedly happens when a black person works hard. There are millions of us. We are not far and few. We have to fight against the odds of a racist system stacked against us and designed for us to fail from before we are even born. Black people have been playing on an uneven field for far too long and this pledge is a continuation in the fight to finally try and even it.”
Wow. Stormzy donating £10 million to orgs fighting racial inequality. pic.twitter.com/nHNIgm0NWu
— David Renshaw (@ddavidrenshaw) June 11, 2020
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
Color of Change
Committee to Protect Journalists
H/T: The Guardian
Featured image: Atlantic Records
