Letter from WTJU’s General Manager: A Change Is Gonna Come
By Nathan Moore
“Today, again, I am overwhelmed with grief and rage… The dehumanization of black and brown people happens again and again and again and again and again and again. How many more unjust deaths must there be?”
So writes Ian Solomon, dean of UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, in UVA Today.
When you’re overwhelmed with grief and rage, what do you do?
When you see the pain that our community and country are feeling right now – especially the pain that Black Americans are experiencing – what do you do?
You can listen. And learn. And act. You can read UVA student Zy Bryant’s guide for taking anti-racist action. You can read Virginia Humanities resources on racism and inequity in Virginia.
Alongside those things, you can listen to music. Music can inspire action for justice. And music can heal. We need both.
Next Tuesday, June 9, George Floyd will be laid to rest at a private ceremony in Houston, his hometown.
That day at 3 p.m., WTJU will air Sam Cooke’s civil rights anthem, “A Change Is Gonna Come,” in coordination with scores of community radio stations across America playing the same song.
Black lives matter, and that’s just one small act of solidarity. It won’t be our last.
WTJU will serve this community — amplifying voices and music that support justice, that help heal, that contribute to a world where all people can lead free and flourishing lives.
WTJU will be a part of that change that’s gonna come.
You can be, too. Please do. We need each other now more than ever.
Sincerely,
Nathan Moore
WTJU General Manager
