Charlottesville natives Dave Matthews Band are speaking out against the violence incited by Saturday’s white nationalist rally in their Virginia hometown.
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The group, which first got their start in the Charlottesville music scene back in 1991, issued a statement on its website denouncing the events as an act of “racist, hate-filled terrorism.”
“Like so many our hearts are broken. Our thoughts go out to the families and victims of these unbelievable acts,” the band wrote. “This is not the Charlottesville we know and love. This town has grown from its sometimes great but often difficult history and is marching toward an inclusive future. This murderous act and those who incited it are not what we aspire to be. We will work tirelessly, hand-in-hand with our community to help one another so we can all heal from this sickening display of horror. Hate speech disguised as free speech is cowardly and shameful. Such speech gives permission to the murderous crimes we witnessed today. There is nothing pure, acceptable, or philosophical about Nazism, or racism masked as heritage.”
The band concludes with an earnest appeal to the nation, writing, “The multicultural tapestry that is America must come together, acknowledge our very difficult but remarkable history. We must move away from the racist and ignorant elements of our past toward an inclusive, kinder, more intelligent future.”
