Singer Jason Isbell has decided to turn Morgan Wallen’s controversy into a case for giving.
Following the news that Wallen was filmed uttering a racial slur, Isbell chose to donate the earnings he’s obtained from Wallen’s cover of his song “Cover Me Up” from his bestselling album “Dangerous” to the NAACP.
Isbell announced that he was making the contribution on Twitter, writing, “So… A portion of this money goes to me, since I wrote ‘Cover Me Up,'” he tweeted. “I’ve decided to donate everything I’ve made so far from this album to the Nashville chapter of the @NAACP.”
“Thanks for helping out a good cause, folks,” he added.
Isbell’s decision to donate to the Nashville’s chapter of the NAACP comes after Wallen posted an apology video announcing that he had met with Black community leaders and that the encounter had resulted in some “very real and honest conversations” that prompted him to “dig deeper.”
“The video you saw was me on hour 72 of 72 of a bender, and that’s not something I’m proud of,” he said. “I accepted some invitations from some amazing Black organizations, some executives and leaders, to engage in some very real and honest conversations.”
“They had every right to step on my neck … to not show me any grace, but they did the exact opposite. They offered me grace and also paired that with an offer to learn and grow. … That kindness really inspired me to dig deeper on how to do something about this,” he added.
Wallen admitted that he was seriously unsettled by some of the stories he heard, but being able to bear witness to them led him to a place of empathy.
“This week I heard first-hand some personal stories from Black people that honestly shook me, and I know what I’m going through this week doesn’t compare to some of the trials I heard about from them. I came away … with a clearer understanding of the weight of my words.”
While The Black Music Action Coalition released a statement saying they were “heartened by this community endeavor,” they explained that “we know that there are deep rooted racist practices and beliefs within the country music sphere, and the incident with Morgan Wallen is only one small example,” reported Billboard.
“There is much more to be done to continue to raise anti-racist awareness, to demolish racism wherever it is encountered, to achieve racial equality, and to support Black country music artists and Black country music executives.”
“But what we saw this week was a step in the right direction. And we applaud that step.”
Wallen concluded his video by telling people not to defend or try to excuse him from his actions.
“Please don’t. I was wrong. It’s on me to take ownership for this and I fully accept any penalties I’m facing. The time of my return is solely on me and the work I put in.”
