Blackout Tuesday: New Trend Sweeps Social Media With Celebrities Posting Black Squares

Social Media was flooded with black squares Tuesday (June 1) as a mark of protest against the death of George Floyd allegedly at the hands of law enforcement on May 25 in Minneapolis, an incident that triggered nationwide unrest demanding rightful justice for the victim, while tearing into generations of white supremacy.

The movement, called “Blackout Tuesday,” received an overwhelming response from celebrities, corporations, and music labels, who abstained from posting on their accounts other than stark black squares in solidarity with George Floyd, in some instances tailoring them with #BlackLivesMatter hashtag, CNN reported.

What is Blackout Tuesday?

Blackout Tuesday was being referred to as a catalyst for change. The music industry spearheaded the movement to draw attention to the vicious murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery during confrontations with police. Many in the industry went silent Tuesday as part of the movement, alternatively called #TheShowMustBePaused.

"It is a day to take a beat for an honest, reflective, and productive conversation about what actions we need to collectively take to support the black community," Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang, the founders of the movement, said in a statement. "We will not continue to conduct business as usual without regard for Black lives."

The founder-duo insisted people were obligated to protect and empower black communities as businesses have “profited predominantly from Black art."

The movement gained traction, bringing big names in entertainment aboard. Jimi Hendrix, Katy Perry, Kylie Jenner, Kevin Hart, and Timothy Chalamet draped their social media in black. Major record labels such as Columbia, Interscope, and Republic Records also embraced the efforts.

Who Joined Blackout Tuesday?

Live Nation, one of the largest event promoters, “pulled the plug” on their business as usual. “We will take the day to work together with our employees and colleagues on actionable next steps that will continue to engage and spark consistent action in fighting racism,” the company said in a tweet.

Universal Music Group's Interscope Geffen A&M went beyond just declaring their participation in the movement, by vowing not to release music the whole week, in a first-ever instance among other music labels.

Meanwhile, some activists claimed that black images being posted along with the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was clogging up the movement’s Instagram account, thus cutting ties with crucial channels of information and updates, according to CNN.