A white dude on twitter asked why the city should be paying for a Bob Marley concert to celebrate his 73rd earthstrong
That is a valid question in the minds of these closet bigots (oops, I rile up easy, so I’m going to go meditate and come back and continue to write)
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$7.5 million for the Toronto Symphony Orchestra for the Canada 150 celebrations
$7.5 million
How many listen to the symphony?
How many listen to Bob Marley and reggae music?
This condescending idiot said and I quote directly, “Why didn't you plan some celebration? I don't believe that was the city's responsibly to do that
We don’t need anyone to plan anything. Compensate those of us who do this for a living. We will do a far better job than the city ever could as we are literally experts on reggae
One wonders why the city is “responsible” for accepting provincial or federal $7.5 million for the symphony
$0.00 million for the reggae culture that has fans a THOUSAND times more than the symphony
I worked SEVERAL hours on the Reggae Lane committee and when I asked the councillor why the committee members were not being paid for their efforts, he said, “there is no budget”
I eventually resigned from the committee for what I see as a gross disrespect for black people and his willingness to take my work for free
Politicians
We will notice that they love to sign edicts and decrees yet the thought of fiscal compensation to the people in a genre that touches far more humans than the symphony is seemingly completely ignored
Is it deliberate?
Yes
We all pretend like we don’t notice but I can’t
I won’t
We are all entitled to the taxes that we pay, especially when we have an opportunity to infuse profits back into Canadian society and to feed our families
It seems these dollars are not really for black or reggae culture
The Canadian government’s racism is exceedingly high
Before you argue think on the Indian Act
Everyone who had any part in that should be tried and jailed for war crimes and human rights violations
Racism is a role that they wish black people to accept as the norm
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Been in this country for over forty years now and what I see and live is shared by many other African people and truly a global phenomenon
It is why Marley sang
It is why his music is still relevant today
He spoke a truth about racism and made hit records because his was also a spiritual path of RasTafari
I have learned to elevate those I am a fan of, as well as myself
I glorify names like Lillian Allen, Clifton Joseph, David Kingston, CKLN, CHRY, CIUT, Tony Barnes, Karl Mullings, Carl Henry, Jackie Mittoo, Leroy Sibbles, The Sattalites, Crack of Dawn, historian Clive Walker, Exco, Ammoye, Blessed, Kirk Diamond, Kafinal, Chelsea Stewart, Toronto Reggae, Jason McLean, Nana, Michael Garrick, Sun Force, Garry Lowe, Mojah, Jah Mike Anthony, Carla, Belinda, Fujahtive, Fugitive Minds, Patrick Roots, DJ Chocolate aka Lauren Speers, Ron Nelson, Jonathan Shaw, Donna Makeda the artist and editor of ReggaeXclusive, Jones & Jones, Lance Ingleton, Messenjah, Tanya Mullings, Carrie Mullings, IBADAN, Truths & Rights, Friendlyness, Raffa, Eglinton west, Raps, Snow, Mykal Rose, Whitey Don, Human Rights, David Dacks, Jesse Dubmatix King, The Memberz, Aram Scaram, Denise Burnett, Willi Williams, Michael St. George, Pressure Drop, Turning Point, Dub Connection, Caleb Hart, Thymeless, The Bamboo, Willi Williams, Chester Milller, Master T, Michael Williams, Jojo Bennett, Jay Douglas, The Arsenals, Visionary, Albeeno, Tracy Christie, Courtney Stone, The Mighty Mystics, Stur Gav, Aretha Fraser, Humble, Steele, Tatix, Jimmy Reid, Luther Brown, Lord Tanamo, Carol Brown, Natty B, Sir B, Errol Blackwood, Prince Everald, Stranger Cole, Pluggy, Wayne Vernon, Junior Smith, King Turbo, Baby Blue Sound Crew, Lindo P, Michie Mee, Kardi, Souljah Fyah, Ibo, IAUWATA, DB Hawkes, African Star, Sankofa...
Wow
There are a hundred more that I have not mentioned but will come to me after I post this (apologies for leaving you out)
All of the above are gifted and well respected locally as well as globally and I’d like to do better by them. They have all given love to a music that moves us all
Yet the Toronto Symphony Orchestra gets $7.5 Million
We all pay taxes too
Yet we are not entitled to that as the Toronto Symphony is
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I promote Reggae For Life so that I can grow a business from the sale of product. What the company earns goes directly to all reggae related projects
If you don’t like that brand, Toronto Reggae has t-shirts for sale. Purchase those and pay them for their tireless reggae work or anyone else who elevates the genre daily
Toronto Reggae and Canadian Reggae World get compliments weekly about how much folks apprecilove what we do for the reggae marketplace. Thank us fiscally also. You can change this paradigm where we aren’t dependent on a bigoted government to fund us. It is why we invested in our own reggae branding
WE DO NOT NEED THEM
We allow them to treat us like we have no value
“There is no budget”
That’s on me
On you
We accept this foolishness
exclaim.ca/music/article/toronto_symphony_orchestra_granted_7_5m_for_national_musical_celebration_in_2017