Our voices are made stronger when we listen
WE GOT WORK TO DO!
Activism is listening, learning and building in community. Let’s build the just world we all want to see — one beat, one movement, one moment at a time.
Being anti-racist is lifelong learning. This learning is important but can also be joyful, even in complicated circumstances – both when we are alone and when we are in community learning from each other. There is no tough topic we can’t embrace with love.
Check out Alphabet Rockers program, “We Got Work to Do” as featured on CBS This Morning and in Forbes magazine. This is a course for families to foster brave conversation to interrupt racism and stand up with our community.
FAMILY MUSIC FORWARD
In 2020, Family Music Forward (FMF) was founded in July 2020 in response to the murder of George Floyd by four police officers as the world watched, resulting in worldwide protests.
Gathering virtually across four U.S. time zones, a small group of Black, Brown, and White independent artists expressed outrage and shared serious concerns about the ways in which white supremacy roots itself in the Family Music industry. In solidarity with the movement for Black Lives, the group pledged a commitment to collectively transform their corner of the music industry by supporting Black artists, children, and communities while dismantling racial bias. Together as changemakers, they formed FMF, a new model of collective leadership guided by Black artists.
Kaitlin McGaw is one of the founding members of Family Music Forward. In tandem, she created a series of free educational anti-racism seminars for the children’s music industry with leaders and thought partners, Tommy Soulati Shepherd and SaulPaul, called “SEE HEAR ACT” throughout 2020.
In December, after an all-white nomination was announced by The Recording Academy, FMF moved to action, and has been working with leaders from the GRAMMYS and the children’s music networks to uproot the racism and patterns from the system. Join the movement at familymusicforward.org.
Rolling Stone joined NPR, Billboard and the Boston Globe in journalism on the racism in the Children’s Music category at the GRAMMYs this year, following the leadership of Family Music Forward. The Recording Academy has been open to change following the nominations, agreeing that there was essential work to be done with our category/industry.
Next up is doing just that. And it starts with each of us – voters and listeners. We got work to do.
THE LOVE
In 2018, Alphabet Rockers began the process of writing “THE LOVE,” in collaboration with Our Family Coalition in San Francisco, CA. The leadership and community of OFC amplified the stories and voices of trans, gender non-conforming, two-spirit and non-binary children, parents and artists. This is our community. Working in collaboration is key to creativity in Alphabet Rockers, and THE LOVE became an intergenerational hip hop album giving voice to what matters: love, belonging, and gender justice for all of us. Listen to what freedom sounds like – with over 60 guest artists joining Alphabet Rockers co-founders, Kaitlin McGaw and Tommy Soulati Shepherd, and youth Rockers Lillian Ellis, Maya Fleming, Kali de Jesus and Tommy “T3PO” Shepherd III. Hundreds of kids and families trusted us with their lived experience to write these songs. The responsibility is on each of us to honor these truths…today. Listen on any platform.
