Blackout Tuesday
“Blackout Tuesday”: the day that social networks darkened to protest against racism.
The protest and outrage from the streets jumped onto the Internet. On Tuesday June 2, millions of social media users joined the “Blackout Tuesday” initiative, an action that seeks to denounce the cruel death of George Floyd at the hands of the Minneapolis police.
It is the sad news of the week - as if it were not enough with what happens around the pandemic - and the one that has generated a wave of protests in the United States, to the point that Donald Trump had to hide in a bunker in the House Blanca. George Floyd, 46, died at the hands of a police officer in the city of Minneapolis, after he immobilized him and pressed his knee against his neck for more than nine minutes, causing him to cardiorespiratory arrest, reveals the official autopsy. This document corroborates what millions of people had seen on the Internet: the infamous abuse of a police officer against an African American citizen.
Given this, social networks also joined the protests. This Tuesday, June 2, millions of accounts on Twitter and Instagram have shared black images that symbolize the mourning for the death of George Floyd, as part of the “Blackout Tuesday” movement. This initiative seeks to raise awareness of the racism that still prevails not only in the United States, but throughout the world.
How did it all start?
This movement arises within the American music industry. It was co-organized by Jamila Thomas (senior director of Marketing for Atlantic Records) and Brianna Agyemang (manager of Platoon's artist career), who called executives, employees, artists and fans to reserve “a day to disconnect from work, return to connect with our community and take an urgent action step to provoke responsibility and change. ”
In this way, the main stations and music streaming companies, including Apple Music and Spotify, were turned off or modified their services on Tuesday as a sign of solidarity with the protests against the murder of George Floyd. The initiative has also been joined by all kinds of companies outside of music, such as Play Station, Nickelodeon, MAC, Nike and Adidas.
"It is not a vacation day, but to reflect and find ways to move forward in solidarity," Columbia Records said in a statement. "We will use this day to collectively reflect on what we can do to take action for change and take action in the coming weeks and months," added Atlantic Records and Warner Music Group.
Among the musicians who have provided their support are the Rolling Stones, Billie Eilish, Beyoncé, Adele, Demi Lovato, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Vetusta Morla, Radiohead, Massive Attack and the legendary producer Quincy Jone. Also, various celebrities have joined the cause, such as Jennifer Aniston, Julia Roberts, Gal Gadot, Emma Watson and the actors Ben Affleck, Jim Parsons, Chris Hemsworth and Orlando Bloom.
Pages would be missing to mention the names of all the personalities involved. And just like them, millions of anonymous people have shared black squares from their personal accounts to protest against racial discrimination. A Tuesday that will surely go down in history.
