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The Black Music Coalition is a newly formed organization comprised of Black music industry executives from the UK. Executives from Warner, Sony, Universal Music Group, BMG, Live Nation, Spotify, and the Music Managers Forum have published an open letter calling for immediate action to end systemic racism within the music industry, The Guardian reports. The full letter, and its full list of signatories, can be read at IQ Magazine.
“Coming together and talking about [recent events] and our shared experiences caused us to relive the many instances of injustice, racist comments, and marginalization across our lives including in our experiences within this industry,” the letter reads. “It is a widely shared belief that the music industry has long been a microcosm for these injustices and they continue to play out within the companies you lead, companies which we are a part of. As a result of the passionate and thought-provoking conversations over the last week; the consensus is clear—the time for change is NOW.”
The letter outlines immediate calls to action including mandatory anti-racism and unconscious bias training, a committed budget to support Black organizations and charities, career development programs for Black staff, and to completely stop using the term “urban music” and instead call it “Black music.” Warner and Republic have both pledged to stop using the term “urban music” going forward.