Overview
#BlackoutTuesday was a collective action on June 2, 2020, where individuals and organizations posted black squares on Instagram to show solidarity with Black Lives Matter protests following George Floyd’s murder. The music industry initiated “The Show Must Be Paused” campaign, halting business operations for a day of reflection and action on anti-Black racism.
Origins: The Show Must Be Paused
Music executives Jamila Thomas (Atlantic Records) and Brianna Agyemang (Platoon) created #TheShowMustBePaused on June 1, 2020, calling for the music industry to pause business on June 2 and commit to supporting Black communities.
Major labels, streaming platforms, and artists participated: Sony, Warner, Universal, Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and others halted releases, meetings, and promotional activities. The goal was to move beyond performative statements toward structural change.
Viral Black Squares
Millions posted black squares with #BlackoutTuesday, intending to center Black voices and signal solidarity. However, many also tagged #BlackLivesMatter, flooding the hashtag with black squares and drowning out critical information about protests, resources, legal aid, and bail funds.
Activists pleaded: “Stop tagging #BlackLivesMatter - you’re suppressing vital information!” Many participants hadn’t understood that hashtags are information streams, not just labels.
Criticism & Backlash
Performative activism: Critics called Blackout Tuesday “slacktivism” - posting a square without donating, protesting, or taking action. The black square became a symbol of performative allyship.
Information suppression: The #BlackLivesMatter hashtag flood obscured urgent information when protests and police crackdowns were escalating.
White-centering: Some argued Blackout Tuesday made white people feel good without requiring sacrifice or systemic change.
Corporate co-optation: Companies posted black squares while donating to police unions, failing to address internal racism, or exploiting Black labor.
Productive Responses
Some participants used the day constructively:
- Donations: To bail funds, Black-led organizations, mutual aid
- Amplifying Black voices: Sharing Black activists, educators, artists
- Internal audits: Companies examined hiring practices, pay equity, representation
- Education: White people read anti-racism resources instead of posting
Music Industry Follow-Through
The Show Must Be Paused called for concrete action:
- Diversity in leadership: Hire Black executives
- Investment in Black communities: Fund Black-owned businesses, arts programs
- Police brutality accountability: Divest from prison industry, support criminal justice reform
- Fair compensation: Address systemic exploitation of Black artists
Some labels increased diversity initiatives and donations; others returned to business as usual, facing accusations of empty gestures.
Long-Term Impact
Blackout Tuesday became a cautionary tale about performative activism. It highlighted the difference between visibility (posting a square) and action (donating, organizing, divesting from harmful systems).
The day also sparked conversations about effective allyship: listening to Black leadership, taking direction from movements, and recognizing that social media posts aren’t activism without material support.