Slipknot and Stone Sour frontman Corey Taylor has urged unity of spirit in the debate over the distance between the phrases “Black lives matter” and “All lives matter.”
Many proponents of the first phrase, who are using it to draw attention to the plight of black victims of violence, say the second phrase is not being used as a signal of support, but instead to dilute the intended message.
It’s argued that “Black lives matter” properly means “Black lives matter too,” while “All lives matter” has been hijacked to downplay the disproportionate amount of violence experienced by black people, particularly in North America.
The Cult frontman Ian Astbury this week apologised for saying “All lives matter” on stage in Canada with the intention of supporting “Black lives matter,” telling fans: “Thank you for enlightening me that this phrase is offensive.”
In a video posted by the You Rock Foundation, Taylor says: “Some of the voices out there are saying one thing, trying to pull us apart, splitting hairs, taking unifying messages and ripping them to shreds.
“To me, it’s very simple – we all matter.
“There’s a time and a place to talk about that. What we need to do is band together and say, ‘Yes, black lives do matter, because we all matter.’
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“To fight for those black lives does not mean that you’re saying anything against anybody else. You can back up ‘black lives matter’ and say that cops’ lives matter. You can have those different ideas in the same thought. There’s nothing wrong with that, because we do all matter.”
Taylor moves on to discuss the unifying power of music, saying: “Any time you think and feel that things are too much, you feel like you’re not strong enough to stand up, not only for yourself but for somebody else, just remember that music and life bring us all together.
“For a few seconds at a time we don’t feel different – we feel the same.
“If we can hold on to that, and really bring it together, then we can abolish all of this. We can bring this kind of violence to an end.”
The You Rock Foundation – slogan “You matter, you’re needed” – provides support for victims of depression and related conditions. Slipknot are currently touring North America with Marilyn Manson, after the trip was delayed when Taylor underwent surgery for a broken neck.
Slipknot tour dates 2016
Jul 15: Oshkosh Rock USA, WI
Jul 14-16: Cadott Rock Fest, WI
Jul 17: Bridgeview Chicago Open Air, IL
Jul 19: Toronto Air Canada Centre, ON
Jul 20: Montreal Bell Centre, QC
Jul 21: Quebec Videotron Centre, QC
Jul 23: Syracuse Lakeview Amphitheater, NY
Jul 24: Saratoga Springs Performing Arts Center, NY
Jul 26: Bristow Jiffy Lube Live, VA
Jul 27: Camden BB&T Pavilion, NJ
Jul 29: Clarkston DTE Energy Music Theatre, MI
Jul 30: Burgettstown First Niagara Pavilion, PA
Aug 02: Charlotte PNC Music Pavilion, NC
Aug 04: Maryland Heights Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, MO
Aug 05: Des Moines Wells Fargo Arena, IA
Aug 07: Denver Pepsi Center, CO
Aug 09: Salt Lake City USANA Amphitheatre, UT
Aug 11: Auburn White River Amphitheatre, WA
Aug 13: Concord Concord Pavilion, CA
Aug 14: Inglewood The Forum, CA
Aug 17: Chula Vista Sleep Train Amphitheatre, CA
Aug 19: Albuquerque Isleta Amphitheater, NM
Aug 20: Phoenix Ak-Chin Pavilion, AZ
Aug 21: Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, NV
Aug 25: Dallas Gexa Energy Pavilion, TX
Aug 26: Houston Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, TX
Aug 27: Austin 360 Amphitheater, TX
Sep 25: San Manuel Ozzfest Meets Knotfest, CA
Oct 15-16: Toluca Knotfest, Mexico
Nov 05: Tokyo Knotfest, Japan
