Obviously, a great portion of the world is horrified at what Donald Trump’s Executive Order barring immigrants from a number of countries, and as non-Americans, it can sometimes be unclear what, if indeed anything, we can do.
This Friday, Bandcamp are making it a lot easier with the recent announcement that they will be donating all profits that day to the American Civil Liberties Union.
Ethan Diamond, Bandcamp Founder & CEO, explains:
“This Friday, for any purchase made on Bandcamp, we will donate 100% of our share of the proceeds to the American Civil Liberties Union, who are working to oppose last week’s Executive Order barring immigrants and refugees from seven Middle Eastern countries from entering the United States.“
Diamond— who notes that, “like 98% of U.S. citizens including the President” he is the descendant of immigrants—also curated a playlist of artists from the seven countries, as a way of humanising the issue further.
“As another way of showing solidarity with the immigrants and refugees from the seven banned countries—as well as those impacted by the construction of the Mexican border wall—we’ve compiled a list of albums made by artists from the affected countries (Bandcamp may be incorporated in the United States, but we host artists from every corner of the world).
“We believe that knowledge and empathy are crucial weapons against fear and intolerance. We hope that, as you listen to these albums, you’ll not only discover some great new artists, but will also gain a further appreciation and understanding for the way music transcends all borders, and remember that, even in the darkest of times, there is more that unites us than divides us.”
Note that the 24-hour period kicks in at midnight Pacific Time, which is 7pm Saturday, EST.
