I vividly recall my last sleepless night. The country had learned—only days earlier—of the devastating results of the Trump administration’s efforts to separate immigrant children from their families. ProPublica acquired a tape of children who had been separated from their parents. Crying, screaming, gasping children. And Spanish-speaking border and ICE agents laughing and joking, “We have an orchestra here.” There was no sleep that night. Just donations, several donations, attempting to right a wrong that will never be completely corrected.
I could get into how there was no backup plan to reunite families, but they had quietly done away with access to the ports for legal sanctuary, ended legal services for children provided by the U.S., and curbed the policy to keep families together on their own recognizance—a policy ended because it wasn’t 100% effective… only 99%.
But moving forward, there are still the children. While there are other organizations, the most recognized has become the Refugees and Immigration Center for Education Legal Services (RAICES). And in support of RAICES is the The Hold Tight Shine Bright Project and their charity CD, Hold Tight Shine Bright.
There are 27 tracks on Hold Tight Shine Bright, most of them unreleased by a host of artists, including Andrew & Polly, Lucky Diaz and the Family Jam Band, Mista Cookie Jar, the Sugar Free Allstars, Joanie Leeds, Brady Rymer, the Alphabet Rockers, the Okee Dokee Brothers, Vered, and Frances England. I don’t promote stuff in this space, I review stuff. But my opinion is inconsequential to the human rights violations being committed on these children. You can make a difference and reward your own family with original, uplifting music that reminds us all that children are individuals, but they look to adults for love, support, and protection from evil. Help make that possible for the most vulnerable by backing Hold Tight Shine Bright.
Hold Tight Shine Bright is currently available for pre-order and will be released on August 31. You can hear the first track, “Shine Your Light,” here.
