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 couldn’t give a shit if people are cynical. I know why I’ve done it.

www.instagram.com/p/CA7liT4jreS/?igshid=1rr4iqxzpq08n

It's about shutting up for once and letting black creators take the floor, the black screen is showing their support rather than it just being 'maybe they weren't going to post today anyway'

I absolutely agree that Black lives matter., as do Brown lives, White lives And any other colour lives. What has been in the USA is appalling. What I don’t agree with were the protesters in the UK during the COVID 19 crisis. I also disagree with local councils paying money they don’t have at the moment to light up buildings to show solidarity

I absolutely agree that Black lives matter., as do Brown lives, White lives And any other colour lives. Could we just focus on the black ones right now please?

mobile.twitter.com/BootstrapCook/status/1267395010145783810

My issue is that the posts are drowning all of the #blacklivesmatter posts that aren't black squares. So it's dominating Instagram, it's working because people are talking, but it's blocking Joe Public from seeing anything else that's using the hashtag.

It's about shutting up for once and letting black creators take the floor, the black screen is showing their support rather than it just being 'maybe they weren't going to post today anyway'

This ^

@betty98
Couldn't agree with you more. Of course all lives matter, nobody has ever said they don't. However right now, black lives matter more. We don't need people to protest for our rights to leave our home and feel safe from law enforcement, we don't have to fear that if our brothers go outside they may not come home due to brutality, abuse, murder.
Today is about listening and learning. Standing with and allowing those without a voice to be heard. The pandemic will go away one day. Racism will not. So to anyone who has joined protests I applaud them, and thank them.

Is it not best to show you are shutting up by just not saying anything? Instead of seeing anything by black creators or influencers I’m literally scrolling past multiple black screens

@Cheeseycheeseycheesecheese You're meant to NOT use the BLM hashtag specifically so it leaves it clear for education / protest organisation / etc. They should be using #blackouttuesday

Rather than post a black square, use your voice to help platform black contributors.

That's the point behind it. You don't need to be silent. Do the opposite. Be vocal.

Instead of your normal posts, put the focus on the movement and it's members.

It's not about "getting it" or being of any particular interest for you. It's about hearing the voices of people who this affects. It's about showing you're listening, showing you're willing to acknowledge their struggle, showing you hear the words 'white privilege' and don't immediately shout "but all lives matter" like those wankers on facebook currently tearing their hair out.

Anyone seeing the current situation and beginning their rebuttal with "but..." absolutely doesn't get it. And needs to pipe down and listen for a while.

@Livingoffcoffee I'm aware, but for some reason about half the posts on my social media have used the hashtag along side #blackouttuesday and when I clicked on the #blacklivesmatter I was faced with a wall of black squares.

I would say those are the ones that at virtue signalling as they clearly haven't been paying attention.

They’re not exactly going silent if they’re posting this picture to tell everyone they’re going silent 🤦‍♀️ How absurd and what a load of virtue signalling.

They’re not exactly going silent if they’re posting this picture to tell everyone they’re going silent 🤦‍♀️ How absurd and what a load of virtue signalling

How dare anyone try to change perspectives and question the current narratives. How dare anyone question the status quo of white privilege. Accept it quietly, please, because @EmbarrassedUser says it's virtue signalling to try and make the tiniest bit of difference in a world so currently fucked up that I'm struggling to find the words to explain to my 9 year old why this is even happening.

@fudgebrownie2019 but how does that work when for example an influencer who has been quiet about racism or actually said something racist before posts?

a black square

If it shuts up Amanda Holden, Stacey Solomon and Christine bloody McGuinness For 24 hours it has to be a good thing.

😱 Christine isn't doing a "sexy" dance!

@bubblev I think it shows some kind of acknowledgement, honours the stories others are telling? I honestly don't know the answers, but watching the current situation think people are feeling like they want to acknowledge what's happening without making it all about them.

And if nothing else, that black square tells every other black square "I may have grown up under a shield of privilege but I see, feel and hear that privilege and want you to have it, too".

Posting a picture of a black square obviously doesn't do anything. It makes the person posting it feel vaguely superior though, I'm sure. But it's Instagram - what do you expect if not a narcissistic moral vacuum?

@FudgeBrownie2019 I struggle with that if someone hasn't acknowledged or apologised for their previous behaviour.

Simply yet another bandwagon for Instagrammers to hurl themselves onto. Of course, they couldn't possibly just silently take a day off inflooencing and perhaps quietly do some educational reading or researching. God forbid, no! They have to be seen to be empathising and fighting the good fight. They're so transparent and painfully superficial and will be back to posting close ups of peonies by tomorrow.

I actually know one of the moderately successful, white, fashion influencers as my DD was at school with her kids. She's openly rather racist IRL as I recall and yet she has quickly added a black square to her feed today. I can assure you she can't even spell Minneapolis

Rather than post a black square, use your voice to help platform black contributors

This. 10000 times over.