The music industry is going dark in the middle of a busy work week to help keep our collective focus on the issues that matter.
On Tuesday, June 2, 2020, the music industry will grind to a halt. The people who make a living recording and promoting music will take a step back from guiding the cultural narrative to help the world focus on what matters most at this moment. Blackout Tuesday is a necessary effort to ensure the changes that need to happen come to pass, and we have two black women to thank for keeping this critical moment in the national spotlight.
#TheShowMustBePaused comes from Atlantic senior directors of marketing Brianna Agyemang and Jamila Thomas. They pair describe the movement as a response to “the long-standing racism and inequality that exists from the boardroom to the boulevard.”
Agyemang and Thomas point to the death of George Floyd as reigniting the attention to a cause for equality and equity that has been gaining momentum for years. The protests taking place around the world speak to a near-universal desire to see systemic change implemented on a global scale. The hope is that Blackout Tuesday will, at least on some level, reinforce the need to keep fighting for the things that matter most.
In an Instagram post about their actions, Agyemang and Thomas explained that Tuesday’s effort is meant to “intentionally disrupt the work week… The music industry is a multi-billion dollar industry. An industry that has profited predominantly from Black art. 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.”
In this Music Biz News update, host James Shotwell explains the origins of #TheShowMustBePaused and why the intentional disruption of a busy business week is necessary. Change is coming. What can YOU do to influence positivity?
