The NEVER AGAIN Association has released a special vinyl record to commemorate Marcin Kornak, the late founder and chairman of NEVER AGAIN, one of the stalwarts of the Polish anti-racism movement. 20 March marks the fifth anniversary of his passing and 21 March is the UN International Day Against Racism.
Marcin
Kornak (1968-2014) launched the high-profile campaigns ‘Music
Against Racism’ and ‘Let’s Kick Racism Out of Stadiums’. As
the editor-in-chief of the NEVER AGAIN journal, he initiated the
ground-breaking register of hate crimes in Poland known as the ‘Brown
Book’. For his civil society activism, Marcin was awarded the Order
of Polonia Restituta, one of Poland’s highest distinctions.
Moreover, the Friends of Integration Association, working in the
field of disabled people’s rights, granted him the title of Person
Without Barriers (Marcin was physically disabled since he had had a
serious accident at the age of 15). He was also an Ambassador for the
Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE).
The
special EP entitled ‘I Know My Path is Right’ includes tracks
dedicated to the memory of Marcin Kornak by two Polish rock bands
closely associated with NEVER AGAIN: Qulturka and Skowyt. Their songs
address the issues of bigotry and violence.
Marcin
Kornak, who was also an acclaimed poet and author of alternative rock
lyrics, launched the Music Against Racism campaign in 1996. Over the
years, numerous artists representing diverse genres joined NEVER
AGAIN to say no to racism and intolerance. The NEVER AGAIN
Association released a whole series of records under a common motto
of Music Against Racism, including hip-hop, electronic, metal, and
reggae compilations. The campaign’s emblem accompanied more than
1400 concerts and festivals, while over 300 bands put it on their
album sleeves – the open white-and-black palm of a hand symbolizes
peace, friendship and diversity.
The
cover for ‘I Know My Path is Right’ was designed by Witold
Popiel, a NEVER AGAIN activist and graduate of the Warsaw Academy of
Fine Arts. The record was produced in cooperation with the
independent label Jimmy Jazz. As a commemorative item, it will be
distributed free and will not be sold commercially.
Qulturka
is a punk-rock band founded in Pila in 1995. Its partnership with
NEVER AGAIN concerning anti-fascist actions dates back many years. In
2010 the band recorded an album called ‘White, Yellow, Red, Black’
in support of the Music Against Racism campaign.
Skowyt
debuted with ‘Achtung, Polen!’ in 2011 released under the
patronage of Music Against Racism. The band’s name – translated
as The Howl – refers to Allan Ginsberg’s poem of 1956, which
condemned soul-crushing conformity and helped kick off the entire
Beat Generation.
The
NEVER AGAIN Association was founded by Marcin Kornak in 1996. It has
campaigned against racism and xenophobia, for peace, intercultural
dialogue and human rights both in Poland and internationally.
Among others, it has conducted large-scale anti-racist activities at
the Polish Woodstock festival,
the biggest open-air free music festival in Europe.
More
info:
‘I
Know My Path is Right’ EP (2019):
Music
Against Racism (issued in 1997) – the cult classic album compiled
by NEVER AGAIN:
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