Store owner can blast go-go music outside his cell-phone shop after colonizer threatens lawsuit
Don Campbell, owner of a DC-based T-Mobile store, is relieved that the go-go music he blasts outside his business won’t be muted after a neighboring store owner complained.
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Thanks to the activism of some Howard University students, Campbell can keep playing the music.
However, Campbell who has played go-go music outside his cell phone shop since 1995, soon learned that a fellow store owner threatened a lawsuit against the establishment if he didn’t pull the plug, The Dcist reports.
On April 8, Campbell received a call from T-Mobile telling him that had to stop playing the music. He did but protests ensued in support of Campbell and an online hashtag #DontMuteDC, took flight because of Howard University student Julien Broomfield, The Washington Post reported.
“Stop moving to the city then complaining about the culture. Ruining a tradition of over two decades because of some rich hurt feelings. #DontMuteDC,” one tweet said Monday.
“How on earth do you move into a community and then try to diminish the community’s culture? To the colonizers : AHT AHT #DontMuteDC,” another person tweeted.
People flooded the streets outside of the shop and a petition on Change.org also racked up 75,000 signatures.
You can’t help but bounce once the GoGo hits your ears ? #DontMuteDC pic.twitter.com/Ax7uimWdDB
— &pizza (@andpizza) April 10, 2019
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That was enough for T-Mobile CEO John Legere to tweet that Campbell can continue to play his music since it is critically important to the culture.
“I’ve looked into this issue myself and the music should NOT stop in D.C.! @TMobile and @MetroByTMobile are proud to be part of the Shaw community – the music will go on and our dealer will work with the neighbors to compromise volume,” he said.
After learning that he could once again blast his go-go music jams, Campbell said at a press conference Wednesday, “We’re trying to keep the music alive — that’s the mission. I’m real proud the community came together. It’s real big.”
