Music industry giants such as Warner Music, Sony, and Interscope Records, as well as artists and celebrities within the space, are joining together in solidarity with the black community in response to the death of George Floyd last week.
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“Blackout Tuesday” will take place on June 2 and throughout social media, many companies, record label employees and industry figures posted similar messages about taking a step back on Tuesday as “a day to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community” in order to take “an urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change.” Tuesday used to be the day for global music releases; it was moved to Friday in 2015. Notably, June is also Black Music Month.
“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 loss,” the widely circulated message reads. The hashtag that will be used is #TheShowWillBePaused.
“We stand together with the Black community against all forms of racism, bigotry, and violence,” wrote Ron Perry, the Chairman & CEO of Columbia Records. “Now, more than ever we must use our voices to speak up and challenge the injustices all around us.”
Apple Music’s Global Editorial Head of Hip-Hop and R&B and radio personality Ebro Darden wrote that he would be taking part in Blackout Tuesday, and he will air older conversations with “community activists, politicians and revolutionary music” in place of his regularly scheduled programs.
For the last week, protests and uprisings have taken place around the country in response to Floyd’s murder. Derek Chauvin, the cop who killed the 46-year-old by kneeling on his neck for eight minutes, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Updated 6/1/20, 3:07 p.m. ET: ViacomCBS announced via press release that they would be suspending their programming across all platforms and networks (MTV, Comedy Central, Paramount Net, Pop, VH1, TV Land, CMT and Logo) today at 5 p.m. ET. The pause will occur for eight minutes and 46 seconds in honor of George Floyd, and to “call attention to the realities of racial injustice, and support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
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