#BlackOutTuesday: music industry puts down work and social media turns black
Many companies and organizations have spoken out against racism in the past week. A violent storm of protest rages in the United States, where the black man George Floyd was killed by a police officer who held his knee to the man’s neck for minutes. Now many big names are giving a signal by shutting down social media on Tuesday, an initiative of the music industry.
Who took his smartphone on Tuesday morning to scroll through social media, may have come across a lot of blacks. Many people have, therefore, decided to organize a ‘blackout’, in which networks such as Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook are shut down for one day in protest and solidarity. The impetus for this comes from the music industry.
Major record companies such as Sony decided to shut down the ‘show’ worldwide. “In solidarity for our black colleagues, songwriters, and the entire community, we will participate in #BlackOutTuesday,” Universal Music writes in a statement.
“Now is the time for action. We will do everything possible to support our writers. It is their music, their words that will change the world. We will help them to stage their voice and vision.”
The label, therefore, does not release music on Tuesday and puts the work down. Some companies even announced that they would not continue new releases all week. They also use the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused.
It was launched by Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang, two black women who work in the sector. “The music industry generates billions and is an industry that has mainly benefited from black art. Our mission is to hold the industry responsible. To this end, these entities have to protect and empower black communities, making them disproportionately rich in ways that are measurable and transparent.”
In addition to putting down the work, some companies listen to Thomas and Agyemang’s theorem. Universal, for example, will set up a working group on inclusivity and will make donations to organizations that pay a deposit to release activists from the cell for an unknown amount.
Celebrities
The #BlackOutTuesday initiative was also picked up by big names outside the music industry. Many celebrities were there early on Tuesday morning to post a black photo on social media to show that they, too, show solidarity and will remain silent for a day. Kylie Jenner, Katy Perry, and Rihanna, among others, already announced to participate. The latter even halts all sales of her makeup brand Fenty Beauty and lingerie brand Savage X Fenty. “We don’t buy and don’t sell!”
Still, a lot of celebrities have been tipped off by their followers. For example, many of them used the hashtag #BlackLivesMatters under their post. When you look up the hashtag, you come across a black page.
“It cannot be the intention that videos and photos of the protest actions are pushed away by the black images. In this way, important sources of information disappear from the attention.” Fans are therefore calling only to use the hashtag #BlackOutTuesday.
