When can a group of people drive powerful action? Every day. Last Thursday, concert promoters Live Nation and AEG cancelled Jamaican reggae musician Buju Banton's upcoming concert series after gay activists protested his homophobic and violent lyrics. The cancellation was a result of a one-week email campaign by gay rights activists.
In songs like the 1988 "Boom, Bye Bye," Banton sings, "If a guy comes near me, then his skin must peel. Burn him up bad like an old tire wheel." In 2004, he was tried and acquitted on charges that he participated in the beating of six gay men in Jamaica in 2004. In 2007, he signed a reggae compassionate act in 2007, stating he would not make anti-gay statements in public or release homophobic songs. He later denied this agreement.
Social media and electronic media plays a significant role in creating change. For companies like Live Nation and AEG, the decision to cancel Banton's concerts creates an open environment for consumers to voice their outrage and demand change. We have regularly posted about the power of words. Through word of mouth, a group of unified people were able to stop the perpetuation of hatred and violence. How can other companies learn from Live Nation and AEG and follow suit?
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