Bandcamp pledges 100% of every Juneteenth sales towards NAACP

The record sales website Bandcamp has been at the forefront of recent movements. Last month, they pledged special sales days where all revenue was given to the artists to fight COVID job losses. Most recently, they’ve made a vow to donate 100% of their sales profits on “Juneteenth” to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. The holiday, which takes place on June 19 every year, is a lesser-known but critically important piece of American history, as it represents the day the last of enslaved African Americans were freed in Texas.

Their choice in donation recipient speaks volumes about the priorities of the company. The NAACP team has done incredible work in the past fighting against racial inequalities and systematic racism within the justice system and is even more valuable now as the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement becomes increasingly prominent.  In addition, Bandcamp has promised to divert an additional $30,000 per year to work with similar organizations on the front lines.

“The current moment is part of a long-standing, widespread, and entrenched system of structural oppression of people of color, and real progress requires a sustained and sincere commitment to political, social, and economic racial justice and change,” Bandcamp wrote in their statement. “We’ll continue to promote diversity and opportunity through our mission to support artists, the products we build to empower them, who we promote through the Bandcamp Daily, our relationships with local artists and organizations through our Oakland space, how we operate as a team, and who and how we hire.”

The statement is short, but a direct reflection of Bandcamp’s values, and a powerful addition to the many companies and brands coming forward in direct support of BLM. To support this motion, all you have to do is purchase from the Bandcamp website on June 19, and read the full Bandcamp statement here.

Featured photo: Getty Images.