On Sunday, June 28th, over 50 artists and tens of thousands of fans came together for Justice Comes Alive, a one-day, virtual festival harnessing the power of music to bring about collective change in response to racial inequality. The donation-based streaming event generated $55,000 and counting in funds for the participating artists, who remain out of work as the pandemic continues, as well as a number of social justice-oriented causes via PLUS1 For Black Lives Fund.
The 12-hour live-stream marathon featured new contributions by an array of amazing artists from around the world including soul outfit Southern Avenue, who performed a three-song set that highlighted the band’s signature emotional range. Much like the group’s performance at JCA’s precursor, Quarantine Come Alive, this set featured a stripped-down, three-piece band lineup comprised of drummer Tikyra Jackson, singer Tierinii Jackson, and guitarist Ori Naftaly.
Kicking off the 11-minute performance with “We Are Not So Different”, Southern Avenue let out a musical call for unity as the country continues to come to terms with the systemic racism imbued in our society. Things got a little more upbeat with the “Keep On” that followed, where Naftaly’s clean, reverberating tone became more of a centerpiece beside Tierinii’s powerful vocals. The recurring refrain, “You get what you put out/you get what you put out/you gotta keep on/you gotta keep on,” served as a reminder that we will only move forward as a civilization if we all work together toward change. Finally, the session closed out with the soulful optimism of “We’re Gonna Make It”.
“Today, we understand now more than ever how precious life is and how diversity can bring understanding, break barriers, and bring us closer together,” Tikyra Jackson told Live For Live Music about the performance. “Thank you Justice Comes Alive for thinking of us to help amplify this message and continue the fight against systematic racism that plagues this world.”
Revisit the Southern Avenue performance from Justice Comes Alive below. If you enjoyed the performance and have the means, consider making a donation to Plus1 For Black Lives Fund via www.JusticeComesAlive.com.
Southern Avenue – “We Are Not So Different”, “Keep On”, We’re Gonna Make It” – Justice Comes Alive
Presented by Live For Live Music in partnership with PLUS1 and Nugs.TV, Justice Comes Alive was conceived as a way to harness the power of music to bring about collective change in response to racial inequality. All funds raised from Justice Comes Alive will be split evenly between the artists on the bill and the PLUS1 For Black Lives Fund, which was developed to address and continue the fight against anti-Black racism and violence in the U.S.
Directly supporting organizations like Equal Justice Initiative, Impact Justice, and The Bail Project, the PLUS1 For Black Lives Fund focuses on empowering Black communities, movement building, keeping people out of the criminal justice system while dismantling it more broadly, and a collective, international narrative change toward the equitable treatment of Black people. 30% of the PLUS1 for Black Lives Fund is also committed to small grants for Black and Indigenous-led grassroots efforts combating racism. For more information on Justice Comes Alive, head here.