In a recent conversation with 93.5 The Beach, Sevendust frontman Lajon Witherspoon, who has been a central figure in the rock and metal scene for nearly three decades, opened up about his experiences with racism in the music industry.
When asked about encountering racism during his career, Lajon shared a particular incident from a tour with Slipknot. He recalled (as transcribed by Blabbermouth): "Not a lot, but yeah, on the Slipknot tour, one time we were somewhere, there were some racist kids out there and they were throwing up 'Heil Hitler' signs. And I laughed at 'em and I said, 'You kids don't even know what that means,' that they were doing it. But luckily, we got through that."
Despite this disturbing moment, Witherspoon emphasized that he and his band have consistently rejected division and negativity. "And I think we made a point to let everyone know that we weren't about the racism and the negativity, even still to this day. We don't wanna be divided then and we still don't wanna be divided now. But I feel like our community and the music industry that we're in… we all come together. There was no room for ignorance then and there's no room for ignorance now. So we'll just keep that going."
Lajon's commitment to fostering inclusivity in metal extends beyond just addressing moments of racism. In a separate interview with Full Metal Jackie back in 2020, he reflected on the importance of using his platform to inspire change. "I think today we definitely can see that there's been a lack of equality in this world that's being put in the forefront. Luckily, in the industry that I'm in, in the metal community, I feel like that's definitely something that's not tolerated, I would like to say, as far as I've seen. I feel like this community is incredibly welcoming, and I've been very blessed to be in it."
Acknowledging that there are still individuals "hiding behind masks that are racist," Lajon firmly stated his role in advocating for peace, love, and equality: "If there's anything that I can do, I will never not be a leader in bringing peace, love, and equality to this industry and to what I do. I can say love sees no color, but I do — I believe that people do see color, obviously. But I still want to bring everyone together and have it not be a problem. I feel like in our community, there's not only black — there's white, there's Asian, there's everybody — and that's what this world should be like. We should definitely get to that page and the point, again, to where we don't have that problem. I pray that we get there."
Witherspoon believes that music has the power to unite people from all backgrounds, and Sevendust's diverse lineup is a testament to that: "People see us, and they see a bunch of different guys from different backgrounds and different ethnicities. It's something that we've done for 20-something years now — we haven't stopped — and I hope that's something that people will understand and see and learn from."
