Music Labels Suspend Work on 'Blackout Tuesday' in Support of George Floyd Demonstrations
June 01 2020 - 8:02PM
Dow Jones News
By Anne Steele and John Jurgensen
As protests over the death of George Floyd and others continue
in cities across the country, musicians and entertainment
executives are encouraging workers to take Tuesday as a chance to
reflect on racism in the country, in some cases even if that means
taking off work.
"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 a loss," many in the music industry, including Quincy
Jones, circulated in a message posted across social media.
As the demonstrations grew over the weekend, major entertainment
companies, including Walt Disney Co., Netflix Inc., Spotify
Technology SA and Vivendi SA's Universal Music Group issued memos
to employees or gave public statements on the movement. Those
efforts appeared to coalesce and grow more pronounced on Monday, as
some leaders called for a "Blackout Tuesday" that would ask
employees to highlight black artists or forgo sending emails or
taking meetings in an effort to focus attention on the issues
raised by the demonstrations. In just a few days, the music
industry has had to meet an expectation by many consumers that
their favorite brands or performers will weigh in on political
matters.
In response to the deaths of Mr. Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud
Arbery and others, two black female music executives, Jamila Thomas
and Brianna Agyemang, put out a message with the hashtag
#TheShowMustBePaused urging the industry to take Tuesday to
reflect. "We will not continue to conduct business as usual without
regard for Black lives," they said. "Tuesday, June 2 is meant to
intentionally disrupt the workweek."
"The music industry is a multibillion-dollar industry. An
industry that has profited predominantly from Black art," the
executives said. "It is the obligation of these entities to protect
and empower the Black communities that have made them
disproportionately wealthy in ways that are measurable and
transparent."
Various labels have responded to Blackout Tuesday, with some,
including Universal Music Group's Capitol Music Group, pulling back
on conducting any business. Interscope Records employees were asked
not to send emails or have meetings tomorrow; the label will not
release any music this week. Slated releases from Smokepurpp,
Machine Gun Kelly, 6lack, Jessie Ware and others will be
delayed.
Warner Music Group's flagship Warner Records label and
publishing unit Warner Chappell will both hold town halls with
artists and employees.
"This is not a day off," Sony Music Entertainment's Columbia
Records shared in an Instagram post. "Instead, this is a day to
reflect and figure out ways to move forward in solidarity."
Music-streaming giant Spotify said it would black out the logo
and headline images, as well as promote the music of black artists,
on its flagship, urban and R&B playlists and podcasts,
including Today's Top Hits and RapCaviar, its influential hip-hop
playlist. Some playlists and podcasts will include an 8-minute,
46-second track of silence "as a solemn acknowledgment for the
length of time that George Floyd was suffocated."
"We are using the power of our platform to stand with Black
creators, amplify their voices, and accelerate meaningful
conversation and long-needed change," the company said.
Spotify is also encouraging its employees to take time "to
reflect and educate themselves."
Other entertainment companies, including the Creative Artists
Agency talent firm, said they planned to participate in Blackout
Tuesday.
On Monday, about a dozen cable channels owned by ViacomCBS, from
BET and MTV, to Nickelodeon and CBS Sports, went dark at 5 p.m.
eastern time for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
Against a black screen, a countdown clock ticked down as the
words "I CAN'T BREATHE" pulsed on screen to the sound of a person
inhaling and exhaling. The spot also urged viewers to take action
by contacting partner organization Color of Change.
ViacomCBS also planned to participate in Blackout Tuesday and
urged teams to cancel meetings and other routine business so that
employees could reflect on how to "push for progress," adding that
suggested activities and resources would be circulated Tuesday
morning. In a memo to employees, President and Chief Executive Bob
Bakish described it as "a day to focus our attention away from work
and towards our community, as we stand in solidarity with our Black
colleagues and loved ones in the U.S. and around the world."
--John Jurgensen contributed to this article.
Write to Anne Steele at Anne.Steele@wsj.com and John Jurgensen
at john.jurgensen@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
June 01, 2020 19:47 ET (23:47 GMT)
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