Brothers Osborne Invoke Dr. King in Speaking Out Against Racism

Duo adds, “Proud to be part of this label.”

Written by Bob Paxman
Brothers Osborne Invoke Dr. King in Speaking Out Against Racism
DETROIT, MI - NOVEMBER 28: Brothers Osborne band members John Osborne and T.J. Osborne play during the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions Thanksgiving halftime show at Ford Field on November 28, 2019 in Detroit, Michigan. Chicago defeated Detroit 24-20. (Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)

Country artists continue to offer their thoughts on the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis that has sparked a national outrage. Award-winning duo Brothers Osborne weighed in on the incident through a post on Instagram, decrying racism in America while invoking the words of Dr. Martin Luther King.

The Osbornes, brothers John and T.J., attended a protest rally in Nashville Saturday, May 30, that started off as a peaceful demonstration but ended up in violence and vandalism. The brothers saw first-hand the sad transition of an event that was intended to protest racism and honor the memory of Floyd. “It was a beautiful and peaceful display of exercising our 1st Amendment right,” the post began. “Social media isn’t a place to debate any topic. We’ve learned that so many times. But it is a place to let the world know how you feel and hopefully give some hope to the hopeless and a voice to voiceless.”

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Proud to be a part of this label. Went to the rally today in Nashville. Kept as much distance as possible, wore a mask, and sanitized the hands like crazy. It was a beautiful and peaceful display of exercising our 1st amendment right. Social media isn’t a place to debate any topics. We’ve learned so many times. But it is a place to let the world know how you feel and hopefully give some hope to the hopeless and a voice to voiceless. @universalmusicgroup EDIT: Apparently it’s turned violent. Violence solves nothing. Ever. Don’t let this ruin the heart and soul of people that want to bring on positive social change thru peace. Just in the same way you shouldn’t let an awful cop ruin your opinion of the police force as a whole. Things are so much more nuanced than we ever want to believe.

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Later, the brothers witnessed a sudden change in the atmosphere of the protest. “Apparently it’s turned violent,” they shared in the post. “Violence solves nothing. Ever. Don’t let this ruin the heart and soul of people that want to bring on social change thru peace.”

Several buildings in Nashville, including the historic Metro Courthouse and the Ryman Auditorium, suffered damage due to vandalism on Saturday night. Brothers Osborne felt that it was important to attend the protest and make their voices heard. They shared the powerful statement of civil rights leader Dr. Martin King in issuing their Instagram message. The post read: “In the words of Dr. King, ”There comes a time when silence is betrayal.’ When you have a responsibility to raise your voice for change. That time has come. There’s no place in the world for hate and violence.” They added a strong support for their record company Universal Music Group. “In the face of bigotry and prejudice, songwriters and employees have spoken out. At UMG, we are committed to being a force for constructive change.” The brothers stated, “Proud to be part of this label.”