The Nashville Scene had a story by @AndreaWillWrite about @theNMAAM that is worth reading. But if all you read is Twitter, I want to highlight something that stuck with me. 1/7 https://www.nashvillescene.com/music/cover-story/article/21145802/nmaams-celebration-of-black-art-should-be-a-call-to-action-for-country-music

Williams quoted text from a display in the museum about Sam Phillips wishing he could find a white artist with Black creativity. Later, she describes country music's all-white writing rooms imitating Black styles as "Sam Phillips' wildest dreams coming true." 2/7

That line hit me hard, because it shows all-white spaces we're in are not an accident. They are purposely designed. It's our job to ask, "Hey, why are there only white people here?" 3/7

The ultimate answer is a (white supremacist) idea being fed by our (white people's) involvement in - and therefore approval of - all-white spaces. How do you stop feeding the idea? You stop being involved. Stop giving it your talent and your time. 4/7

One might think, "Easy for Ellen to say. She already has a career." I haven't always done the right thing. I started learning about anti-racism way too late. But I'm not asking folks to quit their jobs. I'm asking for more questions about why things are the way they are. 5/7

It may feel like a long way away, but eventually touring is going to start rolling again. Let's go into that era trying harder than we did before. 6/7

Start with a visit to @theNMAAM and then let's question the all-white bands we're in, the all-white engineers, and the all-white crews and techs. It's not about being perfect, it's about being better. 7/7