Why 'The Boss' Won't Play North Carolina

By Bill Moyers, Moyers & Company

09 April 16

Bruce Springsteen announced that he will be canceling his concert in the state because "some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry...is one of them."

ruce Springsteen announced earlier today via Twitter that he is canceling his performance in North Carolina this weekend because of the organized assault by the state legislature against human rights.

In a statement, Springsteen wrote that he and his bandmates were canceling their show in solidarity with “freedom fighters” who oppose the just-passed HB2 law that not only dictates which bathrooms transgender people may use, but also “attacks the rights of LGBT citizens to sue when their human rights are violated in the workplace.” He said, “some things are more important than a rock show and this fight against prejudice and bigotry — which is happening as I write — is one of them.”

Some of you may not be aware of what has been happening in North Carolina since right-wing Republicans, led by the billionaire businessman Art Pope, effectively bought the political system with campaign contributions and “dark money,” some of it traced to GOP organizations in Washington.

The takeover of the state and the makeover of its once progressive institutions is one of the revealing and chilling stories of modern politics, one that along with Wisconsin lays bare the heart of the Republican strategy for America. It’s a story we told three years ago in our documentary “North Carolina: State of Conflict.”

Watch it and you will understand the backstory that led to Bruce Springsteen’s announcement today.