Entertainment company Superfly, the co-founders of the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, have announced a new event called Small Business Live designed to support minority-owned small businesses.
2 Chainz, T-Pain, Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes, Bam Marley, Leon Bridges and more have been booked to perform at the virtual experience, which is scheduled to take place on June 20. The event will be available to stream on TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, Twitch, Twitter, LiveXLive and Bustle.com from 4-10 p.m. EST.
“Three and a half million small businesses are currently at risk of permanent closure due to COVID-19, with a disproportionate number of them being minority-owned,” Superfly co-founder Rich Goodstone said in a press release. “We look forward to raising the profile of this issue by showcasing amazing music performances and the stories of small businesses across America that urgently need our support.”
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All proceeds from Small Business Live will go to the Accion Opportunity Fund, which provides loans to small businesses.
“Entrepreneurs of color are denied credit more often and charged higher rates for money they borrow to fund their businesses,” Accion Opportunity Fund CEO Luz Urrutia stated. “We need to accelerate support to underserved businesses in order to reach our full potential.”
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She added, “We have to decide what we want our Main Streets to look like when this is over, and we must act decisively to keep small businesses alive and ready to rebuild. This is a fun way to do something really important. Everyone’s support will make a huge difference to small business owners, their families and employees who have been devastated by this pandemic, the recession, and centuries of racism, xenophobia, and oppression.”
Check out the full list of Small Business Live performers below. Find more information about the event here.
Hip Hop has not been silent during this crucial time in history. JAY-Z called MN Governor Walz to help get George Floyd’s case into the hands of Attorney General Keith Ellison, Russ raised over $150k for Black Lives Matter, The Weeknd donated $500k to various BLM causes, Drake donated $100k to National Bail Out, and Killer Mike provided a powerful speech addressing Atlanta amid city wide protests.
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Kanye West donated $2 million to the families of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor. J. Cole and Kendrick were both spotted at local protests and Meek Mill dropped a song addressing police brutality.
These efforts are only a few highlights among the many people who are doing what they can to help spread messaging and advance the Black Lives Matter movement.
