Over the past week I made the decision to shut my mouth. Part of it was I really didn’t have the words to grapple with what was happening–the heinous death of George Floyd at the hands of the very people who claim to “serve and protect” us, and a weekend where police showed once again they are not who they claim to be, that they simply do not possess the mental fortitude it takes to do their jobs properly. Force is their answer. I could go on.
This past Sunday I also received some jarring family news (turns out things will be fine). This in the midst of my own fragile mental state from months of being holed up in a working household with two small children due to a global pandemic, while many Americans begin to ignore the safeguards put in place simply because they’re bored. I spent a lot of the day in bed crying.
Meanwhile, the United States government continues to fail us at almost every level. We don’t have a president. We have a criminal. We have a liar. We have a thief. We have a dunce. We have a pig.
I’m unable to march and protest with my fellow brothers and sisters who are fed up, but I 100 percent support them. The main reason I haven’t posted or spoke out in the past week is because what I say doesn’t matter at this moment. For now I am going to listen. I am going to amplify the voices that need to be heard, and shout with them. And I am giving my support to black organizations. The time to keep momentum moving toward real change is now.
I’ve decided to use two of my DJ sets this week on Twitch to raise money for black organizations–organizations that need our support and our attention. Please join me. And please follow me on Twitch so I can avoid promoting this on fucking Facebook.
For Thursday night’s set (all genres; 9pm PST), tips will go to Black Lives Matter Portland and Campaign Zero, which works toward making policy to reduce police violence. If you’d like to donate independently, you can do so here:
PayPal: [email protected]
Saturday’s two hour set (2-4pm PST) will also be eclectic, but will focus on black artists with commentary from black voices. Tips from this set will go to the George Floyd Memorial Fund and Justice for Breonna Taylor Minnesota Freedom Fund, which pays for bail for those arrested during the protests. If you’d like to donate independently, click the links above. (Minnesota Freedom Fund is no longer taking donations)
Please join. Please donate. Change. Now.