Bandcamp to Donate 100% of Profits to NAACP on June 19

Bandcamp has a strong record of supporting social justice causes: in 2017 the company donated its share of sales for one day to the ACLU in support of immigrants and basic human values, later that year they did the same for trans rights, and in 2018 they supported the Voting Rights Project in the same manner. More recently, they waived their usual share of sales for a single day so touring bands hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic could have a little extra cash in their pockets, then they decided to make that a recurring monthly event. In short: the people at Bandcamp friggin’ rule when it comes to doing the right thing for their fellow humans.

Now, in light of the senseless murder of George Floyd and in support of the protests against police brutality that have erupted across the U.S. and world since then, Bandcamp is stepping up once again: on June 19, Bandcamp will donate all of its profits to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, “a national organization that has a long history of effectively enacting racial justice and change through litigation, advocacy, and public education.” Bandcamp has also pledged to allocate an additional $30,000 per year “to partner with organizations that fight for racial justice and create opportunities for people of color.”

In a statement posted to their website, Bandcamp explained their motivations behind getting involved:

“The recent killings of George Floyd, Tony McDade, Sean Reed, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and the ongoing state-sanctioned violence against black people in the US and around the world are horrific tragedies. We stand with those rightfully demanding justice, equality, and change, and people of color everywhere who live with racism every single day, including many of our fellow employees and artists and fans in the Bandcamp community.

“So this coming Juneteenth (June 19, from midnight to midnight PDT) and every Juneteenth hereafter, for any purchase you make on Bandcamp, we will be donating 100% of our share of sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, a national organization that has a long history of effectively enacting racial justice and change through litigation, advocacy, and public education. We’re also allocating an additional $30,000 per year to partner with organizations that fight for racial justice and create opportunities for people of color.

“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. 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.

“Beyond that, we encourage everyone in the Bandcamp community to look for ways to support racial equality in your own local community, and as a company we’ll continue to look for more opportunities to support racial justice, equality and change.

Thank you, Bandcamp, for doing what you do.

Everyone else, mark your calendars, and consider delaying any purchases you’ve got planned until June 19! That’s two Fridays from this coming one.