It was deeply gratifying to open Apple Music on my computer this afternoon and to see the words pictured above:
“In steadfast support of the Black voices that define music, creativity and culture, we use ours. This moment calls upon us all to speak and act against racism and injustice of all kinds. We stand in solidarity with Black communities everywhere. #TheShowMustBePaused #BlackLivesMatter.”
Appropriately, the first song I heard after clicking "Listen Together" on Apple Radio was U.N.I.T.Y. by Queen Latifah.
Apple CEO Tim Cook has been a strong voice in favor of human rights.
In a memo to the Apple staff that was obtained by Bloomberg News, Cook wrote in part, “Right now, there is a pain deeply etched in the soul of our nation and in the hearts of millions. To stand together, we must stand up for one another, and recognize, the fear, hurt, and outrage rightly provoked by the senseless killing of George Floyd and a much longer history of racism.”
“To create change, we have to reexamine our own views and actions in light of a pain that is deeply felt but too often ignored. Issues of human dignity will not abide standing on the sidelines. To our colleagues in the Black community—we see you. You matter, your lives matter, and you are valued here at Apple.”
“This is a moment when many people may want nothing more than a return to normalcy, or to a status quo that is only comfortable if we avert our gaze from injustice. As difficult as it may be to admit, that desire is a sign of privilege. George Floyd’s death is shocking and tragic proof that we must aim far higher than a `normal’ future, and build one that lives up to the highest ideals of equality and justice.”
Cook went on to quote Martin Luthor King:
“Every society has its protectors of status quo and its fraternities of the indifferent who are notorious for sleeping through revolutions. Today, our very survival depends on our ability to stay awake, to adjust to new ideas, to remain vigilant and to face the challenge of change.”
Amen.