Detroit Music Festival Charges Non-POC Double

There has been recent talk of a Detroit music festival charging double for non-POC (people of color). The event listed on Eventbrite as Afro-Future Fest which is associated with Afro-Future Youth Group, initially charged 10$ for a POC  ticket and $20 for non-POC.

A local artist who goes by the stage name Tiny Jag, and is of mixed race has had mixed emotions on the topic. While she was initially booked to perform at the festival, after being informed by one of her friends that was not a person of color of the pricing structure, she made the decision to distance herself. Though the artist states that her values include the uplifting of black people, she didn’t agree with the manner in which it was being done. Once the manner was brought to EventBrite’s attention, they instructed the Afro-Future Fest team to make adjustments to their prices, or have the event completely taken down from their site. A statement from the Afro-Future Fest Team read as follows: 

“Events often designed for marginalized Black and Brown communities can be easily co-opted by those with cultural, monetary, and class privileges. Our goal is to ensure that the youth of our communities can participate in the building of a just society; one that promotes EQUITY over EQUALITY. Non-POC individuals are encouraged to provide additional donations as acknowledgement of this historical inequity.” 

This time rather than charging non-POC extra to get into the festival, there was a recommended donation to be made to aide in supporting their listed cause. Despite the adjustment, Tiny Jag will no longer be in attendance. She stated that although her there isn’t one white parent and one black parent in her life, her mother being of mixed-race means that there are members of her family that would be affected by the policy set forth by the event.