Blackout Tuesday: Music Industry Responds To George Floyd Death
The music industry is going silent today, calling it “Blackout Tuesday.” In response to the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless other black citizens at the hands of police, music execs Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang announced #TheShowMustBePaused initiative, also known as Blackout Tuesday, for a day to “disconnect from work and reconnect with our community.”
“It is a day to take a beat for an honest productive conversation about what actions we need to collectively take to support the Black community,” Jamila and Brianna said in a letter explaining the effort, which is set to go into effect on Tuesday (June 2). It is “in observance of the long-standing racism and inequality that exists from the boardroom to the boulevard.”
#TheShowMustBePaused calls for “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.”
Industry-wide, record labels have taken to social media to announce their support of “Blackout Tuesday,” with many companies also announcing donations to organizations fighting against racial injustice.
