A local Detroit music festival stirred up some reactions after tickets for the festival were selling based on race. People of colour were welcomed to pay fifty percent less than non-POC and because of that acts such as Tiny Jag pulled out of the festival.
"Our ticket structure was built to [ensure] that the most marginalized communities (people of colour) are provided with an equitable chance at enjoying events in their own community (Black Detroit)," organizers posted on Eventbrite.
TMZ caught up with comedian Michael Blackson while he was headed home in West Hollywood and asked him just what he thought of the situation. At first, he joked that all white men should pay twice the amount before sharing his real opinion on the matter. "That's not fair, you cannot charge the colonizer $20 and charge the Black people $10, that's not cool," he said. "I think everybody should pay the same amount of money, colonizer or Black people. At the end of the day, I think equal opportunity for everybody."
The race-based ticket prices have since been removed with an option for non-POC attendees to donate extra money, while all tickets are $20 across the board.