The acts are posting black boxes on this day (June 2) of disconnecting from work to focus on community.
The music industry is taking a pause today (June 2) to observe what is being called “BlackOut Tuesday” (as well as #TheShowMustBePaused), an effort calling for “a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community” as well as an “urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change.”
The effort was created by music industry executives Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang in reaction to the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and 46-year-old black man George Floyd, who was killed last week at the hands of a white police officer, videotaped putting his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes as the father of two pleaded for his life and said “I can’t breathe.”
The blackout “is meant to intentionally disrupt the work week,” according to initiative’s website. “Monday suggests a long weekend, and we can’t wait until Friday for change. 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,” reads the effort’s statement. “We are tired and can’t change things alone. In the meantime, to our Black friends and family: please take time for you and your mental health. To our allies, the time is now to have difficult conversations with family, friends and colleagues.”
