The recent Executive Order from President Trump barring immigrants and refugees from seven Middle Eastern countries from entering the United States has not sat well with many in the tech industry. Adding his objection to the order is Ethan Diamond. The Bandcamp CEO and founder says the order is “not simply immoral, it violates the very spirit and foundation of America.” He says by far the vast amount of U.S. citizens are descendants of immigrants “bound together by a shared belief in justice, equality, and the freedom to pursue a better life.”
As a protest and an expression of his and his company’s values Diamond is donating 100% of proceeds earned on Friday Feb 3 2017 to the American Civil Liberties Union. Diamond has also complied a playlist of Bandcamps artists from the affected countries and from Mexico, (he is not a fan by of a wall either), to help find common ground by means of sound.
“As another way of showing solidarity with the immigrants and refugees from the seven banned countries—as well as those impacted by the construction of the Mexican border wall—we’ve compiled a list of albums made by artists from the affected countries (Bandcamp may be incorporated in the United States, but we host artists from every corner of the world). We believe that knowledge and empathy are crucial weapons against fear and intolerance. We hope that, as you listen to these albums, you’ll not only discover some great new artists, but will also gain a further appreciation and understanding for the way music transcends all borders, and remember that, even in the darkest of times, there is more that unites us than divides us,” says Diamond.
Listen here to musicians from Mexico, Somalia, Yemen, Libya, Sudan, Iran, Iraq and Syria