Ramblings On My Mind July 2020

Greg Johnson, Cascade Blues Association President 

Typically, we make a point not to bring politics into the organization’s stances, but this past month has brought about a divisiveness that we must address. The crimes committed by police in the name of law and order in Minneapolis and cities throughout our country recently and over the years reflect on us all. The Cascade Blues Association stands behind the Black Lives Matter movement and finds these violent actions reprehensible. We also understand that these occurrences are not just random actions as they happen far too often for our communities to feel comfortable with what we’re witnessing. And that includes within our own city and neighborhoods. We have seen these same shameful events happen here at times. It is not exclusive to one portion of our nation, it happens everywhere.  

The roots of the music we celebrate as an organization, the blues, originated in the black community. The music was a form of expression that often dealt with oppression, segregation, cruelty and unjust laws, solely because of the shade of one’s skin. We cannot appreciate the music without the knowledge of its origins. 

The black community has endured this demeaning hardship for more than 400 years in America. It is time for a change, and in order for that to happen everyone must take responsibility to see that change occur. Hatred and racism need to be eradicated. Enough is enough. We all need to stand together