graphic designed by Brianna Agyemang, 32, and Jamila Thomas, 35.
alright so by now we all now that #BlackOutTuesday accomplished absolutely nothing and only flushed out any positive information being spread. so how did that even happen? who thought that was a good idea to have a blackout among social media platforms during a surge of Black Lives Matter protests?
posting a black square on your social media feed was said to show your support for Black Lives Matter after the police killing of George Floyd. but clearly that was the literal definition of performative activism -- the bare minimum to prove to the internet that you're a good person. but please, don't get me wrong. this was not just a complete fail and shockingly, it was not supposed to even happen. #BlackOutTuesday was the result fo a failed game of broken telephone, as weird as that sounds. and unfortunately, it overshadowed the original cause. but hey this isn't a complete downer! because that original cause was a success, so stick with me!
so, let's set the scene real quick. George Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020. Brianna Aygemang and Jamila Thomas sat inside listening to the protests outside of their house on May 29, 2020. that day, the two of them felt more tired than they have ever felt before and decided to do something about it. something big.
Screenshot of #BlackOutTuesday on Instagram.
together, these young black women, just exhausted with the racial injustice from music companies profiting off of black music and not giving anything in return, decided to help those companies change. and through the weekend they came to the conclusion that not only them, but everyone needed a day of reflection and conversation, since that was the only way for positive change to happen.
two days later on May, 31, 2020, Aygemang and Thomas designed a simple graphic and launched a website to grab the attention of the public and of course the music companies that their campaign was directed at. they fought to spread their goal and #TheShowMustBePaused quickly went viral, thanks to their friends and family spreading it like crazy. everyone loves a good hashtag, right?
"Our mission is to hold the industry at large, including major
corporations + their partners who benefit from the efforts, struggles and successes of black people accountable," wrote Aygemang and Thomas. "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.”
left: Brianna Aygemang. right: Jamila Thomas.
so, how did Aygemang and Thomas' message get so messed up through social media? in an interview with Gail Mitchell of Billboard Magazine, Aygemang and Thomas highlight what they wanted and the struggles they went through. they called out the lack of mobilization from companies who profit off of black music, with a goal to help them educate their workers. to pause was not to be silent. #TheShowMustBePaused only meant that the big music corporations stop exploiting black artists and have that one day to come up with a plan for how they can support black artists. but clearly this got lost in translation as the hashtag reached a clueless audience.
and thats when the rolling blackouts struck social media platforms. Instagram, Twitter, FaceBook woke up on Tuesday June, 2, 2020 with no information -- the opposite of what Aygemang and Thomas intended -- and instead were faced with simple nothingness.
but clearly those who were responsible for the black squares would not know about the success they were in fact covering up. Aygemang and Thomas did not cave, and instead pushed through the ocean of black squares, to highlight that this day was also a primary voting day in many cities and to get out there to make a difference. as well, thanks to them Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group all shut down normal operations to give workshops and have discussions with their workers about racism. as well, Apple Music cancelled its Beats 1 schedule and offered a radio stream to showcase the best of black music, and much more.
Billboard Magazine showcasing Aygemang and Thomas' story.
the music industry listened. they all listened to these two passionate women who sat down and came up with a plan to help reshape how the music industry treats black artists. the music industry wanted to change. wanted to help. wanted to be better. it's just so disappointing that the rest of the world did not take that Tuesday to listen to black voices and learn. no learning was done by the general public, honestly.
“I want people to know this came from pure emotion, anger and sadness at what was happening in the world,” says Brianna Agyemang during an interview with Billboard.
AJ Willingham with CNN points out in his article why posting a black image with the 'Black Lives Matter' hashtag could be doing more harm than good, that those who posted black squares may have had good intentions and supported the original cause of what #TheShowMustBePaused set out to accomplish, but it doesn't matter because it was the worst timing. sorry, I know I'm being very harsh, but I don't want to beat around the bush. honesty is how we learn, right?
America in summer 2020 was flooded with protests, arrests, and so much anger. Willingham points out how important visibility is for different groups and activist projects during those big moments of social change. summer 2020 was huge for the Black lives Matter movement, and people found much of their information searching hashtags on social media platforms. when you use a hashtag but don't contribute to it's message, hate to say it but you're not helping. the way to help was to attend one of the three Zoom meetings Aygemang and Thomas held that Tuesday with nearly 1,500 guests attending -- top level executives, artists lawyers, all wanting to do better.
left: Jamila Thomas. right: Brianna Aygemang.
because honestly, Aygemang and Thomas were very successful in what they sent out to do. big names in the music industry shut down operations to learn and grow. they developed a wonderful committee of women from the discussions they had that day and they're currently focusing on dividing into two branches:
first branch second branch
focused on systemic racism, social justice I reconstructing organization in music industries
but of course, that isn't what we remember when we think of June 2, 2020, is it? no, all that comes to mind is the endless black squares, and nothing fun while you scroll through Instagram.
okay review time! what did we learn? that powerful women passionate enough to make societal change will succeed would definitely be a good take away. but most importantly, while we tend to use social media as a nice distraction from life, it's also vital for spreading awareness and seeking out activism. so the way you engage with online activism can do damage if it isn't sincere.
related: Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas receive executives of the year award.