What is Blackout Tuesday? The movement that was generated after the murder of Floyd

From Sunday a Twitter account began to organize Blackout Tuesday, this as a response to the murder of George Floyd an African American man at the hands of a police officer, but what is this movement about?

What is Blackout Tuesday?

The Blackout Tuesday is basically a blackout of the music industry for the racist murder against George Floyd. The move was started by Atlantic Record Marketing Director Jamila Thomas and Platoon Artist Campaign Manager Broanna Agyemang.

This blackout (closure of normal commercial operations) will take place this Tuesday, June 2, through the #theshowmustbepaused initiative.

George Floyd

A week ago a recording appeared showing how a police officer uses his knee to cut the breath of an African American man, it was George Floyd.

The first versions narrated that Floyd had resisted arrest; however, as the days passed, clips from moments before the assault showed that the victim had cooperated with the police.

After this recording came out, many music companies and artists began to pronounce themselves with messages on social networks asking " one day to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community and take an urgent action step to provoke responsibility and change ".

Who joins Blackout Tuesday?

The major labels and music companies have varied in their specificity on how they will participate in Blackout Tuesday on June 2.

Some music companies, including Interscope Geffen A&M, Capitol, and WMG, have been blunt in their messages, with IGA, for example, promising an unspecified contribution to surety organizations, aid attorneys, and “charities focused on creating economic empowerment in the black community "Interscope also said it will not release new music this week.

Universal Music Group, which includes Interscope, Capitol, Republic and more, has also announced the launch of an inclusion working group. Columbia Records, on the other hand, remained lazy, calling June 2 "a day to reflect and find ways to move forward in solidarity." Sony Music similarly wrote: "This will be a day of action committed to significant change in our communities now and in the future." 

Warner Music Group CEO Steve Cooper and Human Resources Director Maria Osherova sent a company-wide memo, which a source shared with Pitchfork, that WMG employees can take the day off "to focus on helping each other themselves and others. "

Spotify has outlined a number of ways they will support the day of action, including adding a black logo and title image to many iconic playlists that have been updated to "reflect the current environment"; The selected playlists will include an 8-minute, 46-second track of silence as an acknowledgment of the time George Floyd was suffocated.

The company has also encouraged staff to take time to reflect and educate, and will combine financial donations made by employees. Apple Music DJs like Zane Lowe and Ebro Darden have canceled their radio shows of the day. (Pitchfork has contacted Apple Music for comment.)

Radiohead, Billie Eilish, Quincy Jones, Massive Attack, Third Man Records and other artists have expressed their support and published the hashtag.

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Others have expressed skepticism that the initiative encourages any real change. "I am not attacking anyone personally, I love them all, but this closure of the music industry seems deaf to me," Justin Vernon of Bon Iver tweeted. (Vernon later retweeted a response explaining that the initiative was started by two black women.)

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