In her nationwide United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) tour Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions (CATU) President Sophorn Yang, a former Nike garment worker, describes the life of an overseas sweatshop worker. She describes how they would pile into trucks traveling long distances and leaving their families behind to work 10 to 14 hours a day for about $150 per month. Employees could be reprimanded for sitting down, yawning, or using the restroom. Despite factory temperatures in excess of 90 degrees they were discouraged from drinking water to lessen the frequency of bathroom breaks. The workers are intimidated from registering with unions. Yang says she was most shocked by the price tag of one Nike sneaker—almost equal to one month’s salary.

The USAS tour is part of a series of student protests organized against Nike for refusing to allow its factories to be inspected by the independent labor rights monitoring organization Workers Rights Consortium (WRC), affiliated with more than 180 colleges and universities. The social media campaign #NikeCoverUpChallege encourages people to cover up their Nike logos just as the corporation has been covering up its mistreatment of workers.

A bill designed to spur Georgia’s music industry through tax incentives was passed by the Georgia General Assembly at the end of March and is waiting for Governor Nathan Deal to sign off on it. The Georgia Music Investment Act (House Bill 155) could potentially create thousands of new jobs in both recording and film scoring.

Among specific incentives that would begin in 2018: if a touring band holds rehearsals and begins their tours in Georgia, and spend more than $500,000 there; recording projects in Georgia that spend a minimum of $100,000 in one year; and movie and video games recorded in Georgia, spending $250,000 per year would each be eligible for a 15% to 20% tax credit.

“The industry growth stimulated by the proposed tax incentives would create jobs not only for musicians, but for numerous workers and supporting businesses in Atlanta,” says Christina Ottaviano, secretary of Local 148-462 (Atlanta, GA). “In the interest of perpetuating Atlanta’s prominence in the entertainment industry and encouraging artistic and economic development, the Atlanta Federation of Musicians urges the adoption of HB 155.”

Slated to open in 2019 near Millennium Park, the Chicago Blues Experience will tell the story Chicago’s blues story and celebrate the pioneering artists and the generations of musicians who have been influenced by the blues and continue to carry on its traditions. The 50,000-square-foot facility will feature state-of-the-art interactive technology that takes visitors on an eye-opening, immersive journey into the past, present, and future of the blues. Exhibitions, memorabilia, a live music venue, and restaurants will reinforce the history and culture from which the blues emerged.

Through community outreach efforts, the Chicago Blues Experience Foundation will provide positive experiences for youth through music education and immersion, creating sustainable and enriching activities for young people. The foundation’s overall objective is to use the blues and all popular music genres as an educational gateway to inspire and cultivate creativity, critical thinking, and self-expression.