Wilco's Jeff Tweedy Pledges Royalties To Black Organisations

5% of his earnings from now on will go to charity...

*Wilco* singer *Jeff Tweedy* has pledged a portion of his royalties to Black organisations.

The songwriter made the move on the eve of Juneteenth, the annual celebrations that surround the freeing of African-American slaves from bondage in Texas.

Becoming a national celebration in the United States, this year's Junteenth is especially poignant, given the enormous protests against police brutality.

Jeff Tweedy has confirmed that 5% of his royalties ongoing will be donated to Black organisations, including Movement for Black Lives and Black Women’s Blueprint. In a statement on Facebook he writes:

“The modern music industry is built almost entirely on Black art. The wealth that rightfully belonged to Black artists was stolen outright and to this day continues to grow outside their communities...”

Continuing, the songwriter called on the industry as a whole to follow suit:

“What I propose going forward is a program that allows songwriters and musicians to direct a percentage of their 'writer’s share' revenue to organizations that assist and support Black communities. This could take the shape of a box to check on rights management contracts, putting it at the foundation of our business. Or it could take another shape entirely...”

Find the statement in full below:

Join us on the ad-free creative social network Vero, as we get under the skin of global cultural happenings. Follow Clash Magazine as we skip merrily between clubs, concerts, interviews and photo shoots. Get backstage sneak peeks, exclusive content and access to Clash Live events and a true view into our world as the fun and games unfold.

Buy Clash Magazine