What is Blackout Tuesday? The social media trend, explained

A look at the trend that has taken over on Tuesday.

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You may have seen a hashtag at the top of social media trends —#BlackoutTuesday — this morning. You may have also seen some people criticizing the movement, and wondered exactly what is going on.

That’s what this post is for. We’re here to explain what’s going on with this movement, which started in the music industry but appears to have seeped into other businesses, but it’s also caused some controversy.

Let’s break it all down for you, starting with the first question you might have.

What is Blackout Tuesday?

As protests and unrest over the death of George Floyd continue around the United States, a movement was started by music execs Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang, who wrote on a site that Tuesday, June 2 would be a day to pause all business and take a stand against the “racism and inequality that exists from the boardroom to the boulevard.”

The movement would take the form of people posting all black pictures to Instagram and other social media platforms.

Who is participating?

Artists from Quincy Jones to Mick Jagger, with music companies and studios, all announced they would be participating ahead of June 2:

View this post on Instagram

It’s hard to know what to say because I’ve been dealing with racism my entire life. That said, it’s rearing its ugly head right now & by God it’s time to deal with it once & for all. My team & I stand for justice. Conversations will be had & action will be taken. #THESHOWMUSTBEPAUSED For all of my friends in the blind and differently-abled communities, here’s the text that is included in this image: “MUSIC INDUSTRY BLACK OUT TUESDAY Due to recent events please join us as we take an urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change. As gatekeepers of the culture, it’s our responsibility to not only come together to celebrate the wins, but also hold each other up during a loss. Join us on Tuesday JUNE 2 as a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community. #THESHOWMUSTBEPAUSED”

A post shared by Quincy Jones (@quincydjones) on

How do people join in?

They post a completely black square on social media, like these companies, sports teams and celebrities did, with the hashtag #BlackoutTuesday or #TheShowMustBePaused.

View this post on Instagram

BLACK LIVES MATTER.

A post shared by Kylie 🤍 (@kyliejenner) on

You said there were criticisms about the movement?

Yes.

Why?

It stems with the use of the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter. Many people participating in the movement are using the hashtag along with their posts. But the hashtag #blacklivesmatter is normally used as a tool for protestors to communicate information through social media.

With the blackout, it’s being rendered useless as a hashtag. Now, when people click on the hashtag, they’re being confronted with a sea of black squares and not with anything about what’s going on with protests across the country.

What’s the solution here?

Organizers are asking users to stop tagging those images with #BlackLivesMatter and stick with either #BlackoutTuesday or #TheShowMustBePaused.

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