To not get the point of “Blackout Tuesday”?

[SachaStark]

Morning.

Just been on my Instagram, and it appears that a load of the (white) interior and beauty “influencers” I follow are posting an all-black square on their feed, and tagging it as BLM and Blackout Tuesday.

So, essentially, they’re going silent on their social media accounts all day, other than this image, to support the BLM movement.

I really don’t get it. Surely, this is not the time for silence? Surely, as white people with significant platforms, they should be USING their voices to amplify black voices to show solidarity?

AIBU to think that this is a poor show of support by social media influencers?

I don’t know about blackout Tuesday but I’ve been eye rolling at the number of white influencers who have never mentioned racial inequality before posting all those twee pastel coloured little graphics (clearly so as not to mess up the look of their feed) and posting what is clearly a statement sent out by their management teams, tweaked ever so slightly for each poster. They are all the same, they all focus on how much they are going to ‘learn’ and ‘educate’ themselves. That’s all well and good but I think white influencers need to get angry, they need to challenge themselves and others if they really care about this. The need to put money where their mouth is. It’s almost like they’ve managed to whitewash this issue too.

@redred9 why doesn’t that surprise me 😔 these are probably the people that have jumped on the bandwagon without doing a minutes research on what they’re doing and why

SachaStark

Yes, I was replying to the title of your thread and subsequent posts saying people were virtue signalling by posting a black square

The thing is, by posting the black square you are still clogging up the news feed and not leaving room for anyone else!

The big influencers have been under a lot of pressure to say something, and then when they do they are getting loads of shit about how what they have said is wrong for various reasons. But I guess most of them will move on from it in a few days, pretty much undamaged and normal service will resume for them.

But yes, it does feel like just like a virtual signalling thing for likes. Even the accounts who do seem to be putting a bit more effort in, you still get the feeling they are only doing it for the way it looks rather than because they actually care? I don't know.

Loreal are currently getting a pasting about the whole Munroe Bergdorf thing!

I think the ones who are “getting it right” are the ones who are not making the posts self-centric, but instead are using their platform to point people in other directions now.

Like I said, I mostly follow people who write and review books, so are used to discussing other perspectives, and raising the voices of others. So I think that’s why it comes across as way more genuine that they are making solidarity posts with black writers right now. Incidentally, I’ve just checked my feed, and none of them are the ones posting the black square.

The ones who are getting it “wrong”, in my opinion of course, are the ones who are focusing their posts on themselves, and their own “shock” and reactions. Maybe because they are used to creating very self-centric content?

@Chiyo666

If all you can see is black squares then that suggests your feed is very white. Try following some back poets, authors, celebrities.

I think it’s great.

Yes, precisely

If people are uncomfortable saying black then maybe they ought to spend a bit of time thinking about why that is. To me it’s very reminiscent of how straight people used to whisper ‘gay’ eg “I think Bob is... you know... gay?” It’s ok to say that gay people are gay. It’s ok to say that black people are black. Just like it’s ok to say white people are white (although it sometimes doesn’t feel ok).

This, although it's only in recent times calling a white person white has been deemed an issue, but let's not go there.

Also, never use BAME when discussing Black people to make yourselves feel "more comfortable"

This isn't actually about your comfort, and your privilege is shining when you are able to express that you will use whatever terms make you feel comfortable.

I agree SachaStark. I have only seen a couple of people who have made it “about them” and it did make me roll my eyes. I just checked the book accounts that I follow but I think a lot of them are American so it’ll be interesting to see what they do in a few hours.

But yes, it does feel like just like a virtual signalling thing for likes. Even the accounts who do seem to be putting a bit more effort in, you still get the feeling they are only doing it for the way it looks rather than because they actually care? I don't know.

Everything an influencer posts is about how they look or how they come across. It’s all carefully (or not in the case of The more dense ones) orchestrated. I know because I used to be one of them. It’s vacuous and shit, the whole thing. Yes there are some genuine ones. For the record I was. I didn’t do ads, I didn’t do bandwagons, I made no money at all from it - hence stopping it because actually, it was a pointless waste of my time just to get ripped apart by other influencers.

On the whole they are mostly idiots who do what they think is the popular thing to do at the time which is why so may of them fuck up.

Nothing at all will be achieved while that buffoon is in The White House

I've seen lots of throught provoking posts on FB over the past few days, the blackout just seems pointless.

As a white person, I want to know what I can do to help, raise awareness and challenge any biases I have, posting a black square does nothing to achieve that.

This is the best thing I've found to show why it's important. It allows those sharing important information to be seen, it's not about shutting people up or following a trend. It's so those without a voice, and who are usually hidden by the influencers, stars etc to finally be heard.

As a white person, I want to know what I can do to help, raise awareness and challenge any biases I have, posting a black square does nothing to achieve that.

Perhaps start with looking up why black out Tuesday has come about and what the point of it is.

I believe this is a case of damned if they do and damned if they don't. Many have been sharing links, information and their thoughts over the past few days, participating in an act of solidarity (as long as they use the correct hashtag as to not be clogging up important feeds) is a great thing imo. I'm confused why some people follow influencers if they appear to have so much distain for them.

The only people I’ve seen posting on my social media about blackout Tuesday are black, and they are not “influencers.” There’s a lot more to blackout Tuesday than posting a square!! That’s not even part of it, it’s something white bandwagon jumpers invented to co-opt something black people are doing to make a financial and practical statement.

Blackout Tuesday as a concept was invented by black artists working in the music industry, and it’s basically a strike: millions will be downing tools and refusing to work. Striking has a long history of being used as a tool of protest. Nothing whatsoever to do with posting squares on Instagram!!

Perhaps MNers should take this as an opportunity to consider why they apparently have chosen to only follow vapid white people on SM.

I think it's powerful. It all adds pressure on the US government. It's peaceful. Not everyone has to be yelling, there are different ways to show support. I've donated to some of the bail funds being raised for the protestors who're being arrested.

I'm also a little ambivalent about this: I think its a powerful and arresting campaign and I also think the point about white voices clearing out the noise and making space for this important point and driving through the message is good.

And yet I'm a little uncomfortable with the idea of suspending all other commentary (including commentary about this point). Clearly it behooves us today not to clog up everyone's feed with mindless shit about Carole Baskin etc. But analysis and commentary about this issue, reporting on other relevant news stories, surely, has a place?

I'm a little uncomfortable with the slightly dictatorial nature of these campaigns anyway, however much I support the causes they are supporting. The whole point about freedom of speech is that includes freedom to post things even if they are not immediately on point to the most important story of the day.

I have realised that my Instagram is very white! I joined a couple of years ago for something quite niche, but I do follow some of the bigger influencers as well. I don't post at all on it now, but I do still look sometimes.

I have a lot of black squares on mine, and it does feel like people are doing it because they feel like they have to, rather than because they genuinely care if that makes sense? Most of the captions say things like 'I promise to do better... I am listening... I am learning' etc although some of them just have the hashtag! Not many of them actually tagging accounts to follow or anything though?

I've unfollowed a lot of people today because of it. Especially brand accounts just jumping on the bandwagon.

Oh, I absolutely agree with the statement being made by black artists, @ChocolatelyAsFuck. That’s why I made it clear in my OP that I was talking about the posting of black squares on social media.

But it’s like the people who’ve posted the square can’t even mention that. Most of them haven’t even added a donation link, or links to black content creators, or anything worth taking the time to add.

well alot of bame people on twitter dont like it so i thin they have the final say

I think the point is you don’t add anything to the black square, it’s a time to stand, support & listen. Us white peoples have been running our mouths for years, let’s have one day when we don’t do that, let’s be quiet, stand by black/poc & support them.

I found it quite emotional scrolling past all the plain black posts

@ChocolatelyAsFuck

The only people I’ve seen posting on my social media about blackout Tuesday are black, and they are not “influencers.” There’s a lot more to blackout Tuesday than posting a square!! That’s not even part of it, it’s something white bandwagon jumpers invented to co-opt something black people are doing to make a financial and practical statement.

Blackout Tuesday as a concept was invented by black artists working in the music industry, and it’s basically a strike: millions will be downing tools and refusing to work. Striking has a long history of being used as a tool of protest. Nothing whatsoever to do with posting squares on Instagram!!

Perhaps MNers should take this as an opportunity to consider why they apparently have chosen to only follow vapid white people on SM.

Thanks for the fuller explanation, even the local radio station didn't explain why they were having a days silence on social media or the origins. To me it just seemed like a bunch of people pointlessly posting a black square.

please don't assume we all follow vapid white people, I only do FB so don't follow any influencers at all, and I'm sure many here are the same.

The scenarios are:

1. don't post anything at all today- omg I can't believe that they haven't acknowledged anything, they obviously don't care, I wish they'd use their platform

2. post their own thoughts on the matter- omg today is a day for those who have experienced and are living with it to have their voices heard, who does she think she is?

3. post the black square- omg she is just doing it for attention, somehow even though they haven't said anything I can tell that they have no idea what's going on and don't care

4. post their normal stuff- omg I can't believe they're carrying on as if nothing is happening

I think 3 is the best, because everything negative is based on assumptions about the person from people who have no idea. As long as the hashtag #blackouttuesday is used and nothing to do with BLM then it isn't taking over feeds and making it hard to hear those who are in a place to speak up (only your own feed).