The murders of Asian American women in Atlanta this week were tragic and horrifying. Over the last year, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly 4,000 bias-motivated acts of hate have been committed against Asian Americans and Pacific Islander (AAPI) people. The increase has been so dramatic that just days before this week’s shootings, President Biden condemned the rise in hate crimes against AAPI people.
Our mission is to make music that changes hearts and minds. Music builds bridges, enhances communication, breaks down stereotypes and humanizes the “other” in powerful ways. It has the power to transcend boundaries and create connection among people from different backgrounds, languages and beliefs, and has long been a central part of social justice movements, especially protest songs. There was plenty of singing and chanting at the Stonewall riots.
But in addition to making music, it is also our moral imperative to call out racism and racist violence when it happens and explicitly name that these attacks are occurring within a larger movement of racism and nationalism sanctioned by white supremacy. We condemn in the strongest possible terms bias-motivated hate and we support all AAPI individuals in our community, including our members, patrons, and supporters.
#StopAsianHate