
<p><strong>On May 25, 2020, George Floyd died before our eyes as a police officer knelt on his neck for approximately 9 minutes on a street in Minneapolis. Had Darnella Frazier, then 17, not captured the murder on her cell phone and posted it to Facebook, Floyd would have been yet another Black man to die in police custody – a statistic. Instead, George Floyd became a powerful symbol of persistent inequality and systemic injustice against Black Americans and a wake-up call for all. The response was historic – from the scores of leaders making forceful statements every day about racial justice to the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/janicegassam/2021/09/03/its-going-to-take-more-than-donations-to-fix-corporate-americas-systemic-racism/?sh=1dd4057e19a1">$50 billion </a>that U.S. companies pledged (but not necessarily paid) to support Black communities. To understand the complexities of where we stand as a nation, though, look no further than the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/maiahoskin/2022/05/16/say-their-names-here-are-the-victims-of-the-buffalo-hate-crime-shooting/?sh=4989663552cd">racially motivated mass murder</a> at a Buffalo grocery store on May 14. In an effort to capture the reality of being Black in America, we decided that we wanted to hear from leaders in the community. Here are some of their reflections on the post-Floyd era.</strong></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deray-mckesson">DeRay McKesson</h2>



<p><strong>“We spend a lot of our time battling misinformation from police.”</strong></p>



<p><em>McKesson is executive director of Campaign Zero, which works with policymakers across the U.S. to reduce police violence.</em></p>



<p>George Floyd’s death really did reshape the conversation about police violence. I was in the streets in 2014, and we fought people for years to get them to believe that there was a problem. When George Floyd was killed, people just got it.</p>



<p>Two years later, we’ve accomplished a lot. We’ve helped enact laws in 19 states around the use of force. Every single state now has restricted or banned no-knock raids — we wrote those laws. We did the first repeal of the law enforcement officer bill of rights in the country’s history in Maryland. This work is not sexy, but it will save people’s lives.</p>



<p>We spend a lot of our time battling misinformation from police, who are trying to convince elected officials that our proposals make them less safe. Early on, policymakers stopped ceding ground to police. Over the past year, the uptick in crime hasn’t helped our cause.</p>



<p>I don’t have any comment about the ‘defund the police&#8217; slogan. I don’t see any win in commenting. I will say that part of our work as activists is not to be so arrogant as to believe that the only way to enter is the way we enter. I can enter from ‘defund’ and it doesn’t stress me out. Some people can’t enter from ‘defund.’ That doesn&#8217;t mean that they don’t love Black people and don’t care about our work. When I talk to my aunt – she’s in Baltimore, where there’s a lot of crime – I can’t talk about defunding the police. Because she’s not hearing me. And if she doesn’t hear me, then I can’t do any of my best work.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Sheryl Lee Ralph</strong></h2>



<p><strong>“When I walk onto sets, I see more young, Black faces.”</strong></p>



<p><em>Ralph is a Tony award-winning actress, best known for her roles on TV hits&nbsp;</em>Abbott Elementary, Moesha&nbsp;<em>and&nbsp;</em>Ray Donovan<em>.</em></p>



<p>When I entered the film industry as a teenager in the 1970s, I remember Sidney Poitier gifting me a makeup box with everything I’d need to do my makeup. This was because, once I left the support of our set, many stylists on other sets wouldn’t know how to make up a Black actress. He apologized that the industry did not have much to offer me because he felt, with my talent, I deserved more.</p>



<p>With that in mind, I didn’t expect much change to occur in the entertainment industry after George Floyd’s death. I am a child of the ’60s. I saw horrible things. So when the incident happened with George Floyd, I thought, ‘Oh, here we go.’</p>



<p>But I do see change. And I’ve been pleasantly surprised. Now, when I walk onto sets, I see more young, Black faces. I see hair and makeup artists hired to work with Black talent and others. And I see members of Generations Z and X promoting mental health while fighting for racial justice and equality, like my son, Etienne Maurice. He started a nonprofit called WalkGood LA to help people of color heal from the anger they felt after the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd.</p>



<p>There is so much more work to be done, specifically around policing and requiring body-worn cameras to keep officers accountable. What has taken 300 years to solidify itself in the thread of our country cannot be undone in two years. We&#8217;ve got more work that we must and can do.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Theodore V. Wells Jr.</strong></h2>



<p><strong>“The underpinnings of our democracy are under attack.”</strong></p>



<p><em>Wells is co-chair of the litigation department at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison LLP, chairman emeritus of the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund and one of the country’s top trial lawyers.</em></p>



<p>I try to be optimistic but it’s tempered by the reality of history and current events. At this moment in time, the underpinnings of our democracy are under attack. There are formal efforts to suppress Black voting rights and a real possibility that the Supreme Court will ban affirmative action in higher education next term. We have income inequality across racial groups and many Black youth trapped in subpar schools while the problems of mass incarceration are only being addressed at the margins.</p>



<p>I was born in 1950 and came of age during the civil rights movement. If somebody had told me at 18 that we would still be fighting in 2022 with such intensity about violence against Black men and women, I’m not sure I would have believed it.</p>



<p>I have come to believe that the struggle for racial equality will continue over many generations. Progress is an aspirational goal, but it is not guaranteed. What is scary is that you now have people saying that we should not be discussing slavery or Jim Crow in our schools because it is uncomfortable. Until this nation, both Black and white, is willing to have an honest discussion about its history of systemic and institutionalized racism, we are going to find it difficult to make real progress.</p>



<p>The George Floyd moment for my generation was Emmett Till, a 14-year-old Black boy who was murdered and hung in Mississippi because he allegedly whistled at a white woman. The people who lynched him were acquitted by an all-white jury. Many Black children of my generation were drilled on how you could be murdered for the mere fact of being a Black person in the wrong place at the wrong time. That lesson continued with George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery. Unlike in the Emmett Till case, their murderers were convicted. But the violence continues, as we saw earlier this month in Buffalo. I want to believe that we are mourning this tragedy together, that the outrage will lead to change. You have to try to temper your frustration and despair with hope and optimism.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Bozoma Saint John</strong></h2>



<p><strong>“In that moment, I didn’t care about the appearance of being the angry Black woman.”</strong></p>



<p><em>Saint John is a Hall of Fame marketing executive, author, entrepreneur and the former global chief marketing officer at Netflix.&nbsp;</em></p>



<p>A few days after George Floyd was murdered, I had to present at a roundtable of CMOs. Each of us was asked to present three things that we thought were important for our audiences or for our companies. Everybody was saying all these amazing things from very diverse points of view. About halfway through, though, I realized I didn’t care about any of those things at that moment. When it was my turn, I said, “There are things I want for us as a community of C-suite executives. Number one: Be enraged. Number two: Be enraged. Number three: Be enraged.” I said it with my voice shaking and a cry at the back of my throat.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In that moment, I didn&#8217;t care about the appearance of being the angry Black woman. I wanted everybody to see it and ask themselves why they weren&#8217;t enraged, too. I hadn&#8217;t challenged my own peers in that kind of visceral way before.</p>



<p>Prior to Floyd’s murder, we hadn’t had companies make public statements about anything, really – except for something like a natural disaster. But we hadn’t had companies make statements about racial reckoning. That was not a thing. And to be quite honest, I was so shocked by it.</p>



<p>I think there is a responsibility for companies to do more to advance racial equity. I understand why we are very sensitive to performative action. But even if a company is performative to whatever degree, they&#8217;re still laying a foundation to build on. It is our job as a society to make sure that we keep that performance accountable. If we think it’s performative, put some pressure against it. It’s just like science. If I put pressure against this thing and it’s actually a facade, it will fall.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Harvey Mason Jr.</strong></h2>



<p><strong>“I&#8217;m very conscious of how I move as someone who hopefully can open the door for others.”</strong></p>



<p><em>Mason Jr. is a Grammy-nominated record producer, songwriter, movie producer and CEO of The Recording Academy.</em></p>



<p>I think people have an awareness that they should have had before but didn’t. Many come to me, asking how they can help. Awkward as that sometimes is, they’re speaking from the heart. I’m very conscious of how I move as someone who hopefully can open the door for others. Hopefully, we can set a tone that then makes a change that can last and have impact.&nbsp;</p>



<p>When I’m on a Zoom call, talking to a studio about a film, and half the faces I see on screen are people of color, I know those people are going to rise through the ranks at that company. One might become a chief creative officer or CEO, and that’s going to trickle down to have a tremendous impact on the content that those studios produce. That will then trickle down to have a tremendous impact on the people who watch it, which might shape the opinions and perspectives those consumers have about a certain race or gender.&nbsp;</p>



<p>That’s going to be ultimately what changes the world and changes behavior and changes the hearts and minds of people. That’s why I love my job and why I love making art. By the time people watch it or hear it or listen to it or dance to it or sing it, they’re getting a dose of empathy and understanding.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ryan Williams</strong></h2>



<p><strong>“In some cases, you’re seeing things go backwards in terms of minority representation.”</strong></p>



<p><em>Williams is cofounder and CEO of Cadre, a technology-driven real estate platform that aims to make commercial real estate accessible to a wider number of investors.</em></p>



<p>What has changed since George Floyd’s murder? Conversations like this have changed. Personally, this was not a discussion that I was comfortable having a couple years ago. And I don&#8217;t think a lot of folks in the media were comfortable having it either.&nbsp;</p>



<p>I’ve realized that I need to be more of a multidimensional leader. It’s not enough just to make sure we’re growing and building the leading platform for individuals to access real estate. I also need to talk about the communities we’re investing in, and start thinking more about my employees, my team and the communities they came from.</p>



<p>The biggest things that haven’t changed since two years ago are the numbers related to underrepresented minorities being board members, founders and CEOs. In some cases, you’re seeing things go backward in terms of minority representation and control in governance at large companies.</p>



<p>Institutional investors like pensions and university endowments play a huge role in how capital gets allocated. They’re not pounding the table and asking the venture capital funds they invest in, ‘What does your portfolio look like today?’ They’re not asking VCs, ‘How many Black partners do you have?’</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Songe LaRon &amp; Dave Salvant</strong></h2>



<p><strong>“I don’t think the onus should be on Black people, frankly, to fix these problems.”</strong></p>



<p><em>LaRon and Salvant are the co-founders of Squire Technologies, which provides software and services to barber shops nationwide.</em></p>



<p>LARON: After George Floyd died, there was a lot more attention paid to the lack of funding that Black founders receive, relative to founders [who are] white and other races. There was more attention to the challenges that Black entrepreneurs experience. Prior to 2020 I think that was something that was talked about in Black circles but not so much outside. It sparked a dialogue. Did that dialogue and awareness translate into change that can be tracked and traced? I don’t know to what extent that’s happened.</p>



<p>SALVANT: As African-American founders, the more successful we are, the more we give other people chances. Investors and people are greedy and that trumps everything. If they’re making money with you, they invest more and look for similar assets to invest in. The responsibility we have is to be as successful as possible, and hopefully our success brings more opportunity in the future.&nbsp;</p>



<p>LARON: I don’t think the onus should be on Black people, frankly, to fix these problems. These are American issues. America needs to solve these issues. I think it’s good to have the conversation, but not just with Black founders. It’s as much of a white issue – more of a white issue, frankly. It’ll be interesting to see how white founders deal with this. How are they responding? What are they saying?</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Ward Connerly</strong></h2>



<p><strong>“I did not see Floyd’s murder as a racial interaction. ”</strong></p>



<p><em>Connerly is president of the American Civil Rights Institute, a group critical of affirmative action programs, and a former University of California regent.</em></p>



<p>When George Floyd was murdered, my reaction was one of shock and disbelief — disbelief that law enforcement had allowed such brutal tactics to intrude into the everyday practices of their officers. I did not see Floyd’s murder as a racial interaction. That was instantly the characterization of it by many, but I did not see it that way. And to this day, I don’t really see it that way.</p>



<p>I think that, as a society, we are so obsessed with race that we look for it often. There are those who have views that are contrary to mine who manufacture that perception. It is almost as if it is in their best interest, based on their ideological view or their station in life, to identify transactions among us as being racial.&nbsp;</p>



<p>If we want to get beyond race, then we should get beyond race. That’s part of what I thought the election of Senator Barack Obama as President Barack Obama was about: post-racial. Not a country of Black and white, red America, blue America. But an America, post-racial. We didn&#8217;t move in that direction, but I&#8217;m still – at 83 almost – trying to gallop toward that before I leave. </p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Frances Tiafoe</strong></h2>



<p><strong>“I definitely like where we’re going, but it’s a long road ahead for sure.”</strong></p>



<p><em>Tiafoe is the 27th-ranked men’s tennis player in the world and the only Black American male in the ATP Tour’s top 100 rankings.&nbsp;</em></p>



<p>At the time of Floyd’s death, I was one of the few Black American tennis players. When I made it to the fourth round of the U.S. Open a few months later, I came out with a Black Lives Matter mask and shirt. The fact that the U.S. Open let that happen was unbelievable. I felt like my guys were definitely behind me. To speak about racism and Floyd’s murder on such a big platform. It was huge.&nbsp;</p>



<p>I would like to encourage more people who look like me to play the game of tennis. That would be great for the sport. It comes down to people in power to move the needle. All you need is a basketball and hoop to play basketball and all you need is a field and a football to play football. There’s no stringing rackets, no shoes, no certain clothing needed, no traveling outside your community.&nbsp;</p>



<p>There definitely has been a shift in the right direction. Black people are doing much more for their communities, for places where they grew up in – at least where I’m from in D.C. I see a lot more help in lower-income areas. People are generally trying to do more, showing good representation, showing kids that this is bigger than just what’s right around them. But we need to see people of color getting great jobs, getting great opportunities in high places. I definitely like where we’re going, but it’s a long road ahead for sure.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Joy Buolamwini</strong></h2>



<p><strong>“What matters is not the technology but how it’s used.”</strong></p>



<p><em>Buolamwini, whose groundbreaking work on AI bias earned her a PhD from MIT Media Lab, is founder of the nonprofit research group Algorithmic Justice League.</em></p>



<p>I started AJL in 2016 to share research on how technology could perpetuate colorism, racism and other forms of discrimination. When George Floyd was murdered, it brought an intense focus on racial disparities and policing practices, including surveillance technologies that we’ve studied<strong>&nbsp;</strong>such as facial recognition.<strong>&nbsp;</strong>So it didn’t take long for policymakers, decision-makers and street leaders to reach out to us and ask for advice.&nbsp;</p>



<p>My organization is opposed to the use of technology for mass surveillance. The George Floyd video is not an example of Orwellian surveillance, recorded by some higher authority watching over people. Instead, it was sousveillance that’s recorded from below by the less powerful who are watching over the authorities as a check on power. It’s the young woman who wielded the camera against police brutality in a defiant, brave and visible act. It is important not to conflate an act of resistance with the invasive use of camera networks for mass surveillance. What matters is not the technology but how it’s used.&nbsp;</p>



<p>I’m encouraged to see the government be more transparent and seek expert advice on the impact of technology on our communities through increased testing and the creation of the National AI Advisory Committee. But there is so much more to do. The government also needs experiential expertise from those who have been harmed by technology. We need more enforceable rules and regulations of technology that can be used to discriminate, whether it’s who gets hired, arrested or prioritized for a kidney transplant.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Floyd’s murder underscores for me that racial justice requires algorithmic justice. We cannot have racial justice when technology discriminates against us.</p>


Celebration Of The Sentence Of Former Police Officer Derek Chauvin As Guilty Of The Murder Of George Floyd

Two Years After George Floyd, Black Leaders Reflect On Change


<p><strong>TOPLINE </strong>On the first anniversary of George Floyd’s murder at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, people all over the world gathered to remember the man whose death kicked off worldwide protests and ushered in a new chapter in the fight against racism and police brutality</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-facts">KEY FACTS</h3>



<p>Members of the Minneapolis community gathered together Tuesday at George Floyd Square, named for the place where Floyd was murdered in police custody a year ago, to mourn and pay their respects.</p>



<p>Events to mark the anniversary of Floyd’s murder were also held as far away as Berlin, Germany, where activists held a socially-distanced demonstration to remember Floyd.</p>



<p>Floyd’s brother, Philonise, along with other members of the Floyd family traveled to Washington, D.C. to encourage lawmakers to <a href="https://wgntv.com/news/george-floyd-family-meets-with-biden-as-congress-mulls-police-bill/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pass a police reform bill</a> making its way through Congress.</p>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1233109483.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51181" width="557" height="371" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1233109483.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1233109483-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1233109483-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 557px) 100vw, 557px" /><figcaption>ATLANTA, GA &#8211; MAY 25: People gather to march and memorialize the life of George Floyd on the anniversary of his death on May 25, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Floyd&#8217;s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin sparked protests and movements around the world. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1233109132.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51182" width="490" height="327" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1233109132.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1233109132-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1233109132-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 490px) 100vw, 490px" /><figcaption>ATLANTA, GA &#8211; MAY 25: A mural of George Floyd painted downtown to memorialize the life of George Floyd is shown on the anniversary of his death on May 25, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. Floyd&#8217;s death at the hands of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin sparked protests and movements around the world. (Photo by Megan Varner/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1232456603.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51184" width="559" height="373" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1232456603.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1232456603-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1232456603-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 559px) 100vw, 559px" /><figcaption>People celebrate the sentence of former police officer Derek Chauvin as guilty of the murder of George FLoyd, at the mural in tribute to George Floyd in the neighborhood of Kibera, Nairobi, Kenya, on April 21, 2021.  (Photo by Robert Bonet/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1244161665.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51185" width="586" height="391" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1244161665.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1244161665-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1244161665-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 586px) 100vw, 586px" /><figcaption>BOGOTA, COLOMBIA &#8211; JUNE 03: A woman with a necklace of Africa is seen in front of the headquarters of the American embassy during a demonstration against police brutality against George Floyd and deployment of US armed forces to Colombian territory on June 03, 2020 in Bogota, Colombia. Protests spread across cities around the world in response to the death of African American George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Diego Cuevas/Vizzor Image/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1320092921.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-51183" width="686" height="457" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1320092921.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1320092921-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/GettyImages-1320092921-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 686px) 100vw, 686px" /><figcaption>MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA &#8211; MAY 25: Candles illuminate a makeshift headstone for George Floyd at the Say Their Names Cemetery on May 25, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. People gathered to remember Floyd, who died at the hands of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin one year ago today. Chauvin was found guilty on three counts of murder and manslaughter.  (Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



<p><strong><em>By Carlie Porterfield, Forbes Staff</em></strong></p>


Minneapolis Remembers George Floyd On Anniversary Of His Death

The World Remembers George Floyd One Year After His Death


<p><strong>TOPLINE</strong>  Black tiles flooded social media on Tuesday alongside the hashtags #blackouttuesday and #theshowmustbepaused as the music industry paused to remember the killings of black people at the hands of police, but some artists are warning that #blacklivesmatter posts are being silenced in the process.</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="594" height="448" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/gettyimages-1201588338-594x594-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-45719" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/gettyimages-1201588338-594x594-1.jpg 594w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/gettyimages-1201588338-594x594-1-300x226.jpg 300w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px" /><figcaption>Kehlani posted about the risk of useful information being drowned out by black tiles<br> <br> (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for Warner Music)</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">KEY FACTS</h2>



<p>The initiative was set up by Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang, two black music industry executives at Atlantic Records and Platoon respectively, in response to the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and “countless other Black citizens at the hands of police.”</p>



<p>The founders wrote in an<a href="https://www.theshowmustbepaused.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">&nbsp;online statement</a>: “Tuesday June 2nd is meant to intentionally disrupt the work week&#8230;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.”</p>



<p>They added that the initiative is not for 24 hours only. “We are and will be in this fight for the long haul. A plan of action will be announced.”</p>



<p>Major labels Warner Music Group, Sony Music, and Universal Music Group pledged support for the initiative, while Interscope records says it&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/Interscope/status/1267153567078469632?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">won’t release</a>&nbsp;new music this week.</p>



<p>Companies observing the ‘pause’ have done so in different ways: networks BET and MTV went dark for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in response to Floyd’s death, while Spotify has replaced the artwork on some playlists with a black tile.</p>



<p>Businesses outside the music industry are also pledging their support for the initiative, including Rihanna-founded Fenty Beauty, which in a statement said it would&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/fentybeauty/status/1267668080747884545?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">not conduct</a>&nbsp;any business on Tuesday.</p>



<p>The accompanying hashtags #blackouttuesday and #theshowmustbepaused have already been used more than 6 million times on Instagram. Blackout Tuesday was the top trending topic on Twitter with more than <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BlackOutTuesday&amp;src=trend_click" target="_blank">500,000</a> hashtags used by people both in and outside of the music industry signalling their support.</p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="qme" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheShowMustBePaused?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheShowMustBePaused</a> <a href="https://t.co/JHTUG34Ibj">pic.twitter.com/JHTUG34Ibj</a></p>&mdash; theshowmustbepaused (@pausetheshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/pausetheshow/status/1267316487909326848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 1, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a href="https://t.co/fZvZPw3tLD">pic.twitter.com/fZvZPw3tLD</a></p>&mdash; Columbia Records (@ColumbiaRecords) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColumbiaRecords/status/1267164123680440320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 31, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">It looks like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackOutTuesday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackOutTuesday</a> isn’t just the music world. A number of actors are also posting a black screen in solidarity of the protest against the death of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GeorgeFloyd?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GeorgeFloyd</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TheShowMustBePaused?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TheShowMustBePaused</a> <a href="https://t.co/8NLOW4T32q">pic.twitter.com/8NLOW4T32q</a></p>&mdash; Chi Chi Izundu (@blondeafro) <a href="https://twitter.com/blondeafro/status/1267688755596537857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p><strong>CRUCIAL COMMENT</strong></p>



<p>Thomas and Agyemang wrote in a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theshowmustbepaused.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">statement</a>: “The music industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. An industry that has profited predominantly from Black art. Our mission is to hold the industry at large, including major corporations and their partners who benefit from the efforts, struggles and successes of Black people accountable.&nbsp;</p>



<p>“To that end, it is the obligation of these entities to protect and empower the black communities that have made them disproportionately wealthy in ways that are measurable and transparent.”</p>



<p><strong>CHIEF CRITICS</strong></p>



<p>Some on Twitter pointed out that people’s use of the #blacklivesmatter hashtag alongside a post of a black square could silence the movement, instead of amplifying black voices.</p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is counter-productive. Please understand what ur doing before u do it. Amplify black voices WITHOUT silencing the movement <a href="https://t.co/pahDbXnYOO">pic.twitter.com/pahDbXnYOO</a></p>&mdash; 💲🤍 (@makeupbyshaniah) <a href="https://twitter.com/makeupbyshaniah/status/1267716830996697088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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https://twitter.com/ProfMCBrown/status/1267782385115922434?s=20
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<p>Several users are urging participants to use the designated hashtags #TheShowMustBePaused and #BlackoutTuesday to prevent the #blacklivesmatter hashtag, and vital information about ways to support the cause, being drowned out by black squares.</p>



<p>Singer Kehlani posted about the black tiles and the risk that they could drown out useful information. Others criticised participation in the initiative as performative and “virtue signalling.” Musician Bon Iver tweeted: “I love you all, but this music industry shutdown thing feels tone deaf to me,” before deleting the tweet.</p>



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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I don’t understand calling for silence in the middle of mass protesting &amp; uprising. Especially when silence is part of the problem. This happens frequently during uprisings against police brutality. I also don’t trust the music industry lol <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackOutTuesday?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackOutTuesday</a></p>&mdash; FREE PALESTINE, NO MORE MASTERS (@BreeNewsome) <a href="https://twitter.com/BreeNewsome/status/1267797727309684736?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 2, 2020</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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<p>Separately, the words “<a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%22My%20Instagram%22&amp;src=trend_click" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">My Instagram</a>” was trending on Twitter on Tuesday morning as users questioned the usefulness of the black tiles on their Instagram feeds.&nbsp;</p>



<p><strong>KEY BACKGROUND</strong></p>



<p>The death of 46-year-old Floyd has reignited Black Lives Matter protests across the U.S. and the world, and companies are increasingly bowing to public pressure to stand by the black community and publicly denounce racism and police brutality, as well as donate to anti-racism efforts.</p>



<p><em>&#8211;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/isabeltogoh/">Isabel Togoh</a>, Forbes Staff<a href="https://www.forbes.com/business">, Business</a></em></p>


Tag: George Floyd

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