HARVEY Tadman
I never felt the need to voice my views on cultural and political affairs. Every person on the planet has a platform, big or small, and I used mine non-controversially, in fear of ever having to respond to questions on my points of view. Seeing a video of George Floyd's murder at the hands of the Police angered me to the point I shared the video on my social media. I felt like I was watching it in real time, I felt as though I was an onlooker watching a man's life slipping away in front of me.
I wanted to pull the police off him, but this could have got me killed. I wanted to call the authorities, but the authorities were the ones committing this heinous act. I felt so incredibly helpless that all I could think to do was share the video and hope that it would gain awareness.
I couldn't help but continue to feel helpless and it made me ask myself how must all Black people feel? How must all my Black friends feel? I really had no idea. I naively reached out to some of my closest black friends and asked them how they truly felt, some kept up the brave show they must put on daily, but others opened up to me in One of my friends responded:
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"It’s one of these things that we don’t like to talk about. But to be honest, the last 3 yesterday especially, I have been living in fear of the possibility of being killed randomly. And for a fearless person like me you just imagine that. I tried to make up for it by spending as much as possible time outside of the US"
As a white man, this comes from a place I could never begin to comprehend. My mind was blown. Reaching out to those friends revealed concerns, completely absent from my life. I owe it to my friends to better understand their situation and do whatever I can to help. It is time for me not just to be anti-racist, but to be ACTIVELY anti-racist.
Harvey Tadman is an esteemed music manager and music executive who is considered among the ranks of other important music figures. He has led the prestigious AYITA and help manage the careers of some of the biggest musicians, including Nero, deadmau5 and Calvin Harris at Three Six Zero. His influence on the music world cannot be overstated.
