A music festival in Detroit fetched a major controversy when it mentioned two different prices. It is while differentiating among people of color and non-people of color. Local art and social collective Afrofuture Youth who organized Afrofuture Fest the show. It listed $20 as price tickets for the people of color while the second price for another section was rated at $40.
The event was due for August 3. The venue was a site of community gardening project Freedom Freedom in Detroit’s Jefferson Chalmers district.
Organizer’s View For The Double Price
Advertising and promotional lines quoted by the organizers justified the move while claiming equality “means treating everyone the same.” It follows as “Our ticket structure was built to ensure that the most marginalized communities (people of color) are provided with an equitable chance at enjoying events in their own community (black Detroit). Affording joy and pleasure is, unfortunately, still a privilege in our society for POC, and we believe everyone should have access to receiving such.”
Backlashes The Event Received
The move fetched frightening reactions from the ticketing website Eventbrite. Eventbrite threatened that the festival could see a removal from its list. But Not, if the alteration would be made according to its policies for events organization. This can put the festival organizer in a condition where they will be left with a reduced profit.
The spokesperson of the ticket booking site alarmed that “Our mission is to bring the world together through live experiences. We strive to provide a platform that enables people to gather for their chosen purpose, and that reflects diverse viewpoints, so long as they don’t violate our terms.”
“We do not permit events that require attendees to pay different prices based on their protected characteristics such as race or ethnicity,” he added.
It threatens that “In this case, we have notified the creator of the event about this violation and requested that they alter their event accordingly. We have offered them the opportunity to do this on their own accord; should they not wish to comply, we will unpublish the event completely from our site.”
Performers Are Pulling Out Of The Event
This is not the only backlash the event has received. Show’s performer, Detroit-based rapper Tiny Jag has withdrawn from the show following the ticketing hurdle. Originally named as Jillian Graham, the rapper while announcing the pull out stated that the ticketing move is outrageous. To Detroit Times, she said that “I was immediately enraged just because I am biracial.”
“I have family members that would have, under those circumstances, been subjected to something that I would not ever want them to be in. Especially not because of anything that I have going on.”
While elaborating, she said, “A lot of the songs that I perform are from my first project called Polly – that is my grandmother’s name. How do you want me to come to a performance and perform these songs of a mixtape that is titled after this white woman that you would have charged double to get in here? Like, it’s just outrageous from so many different angles.”
This step of the rapper fetched criticism. It’s on the basis that the ticketing was fare enough as it is supporting the local community.