Source: NurPhoto / Getty
Social media users are partaking in Blackout Tuesday social protests, but their act of solidarity could be hurting the Black Lives Matter movement in the process.
The protest was initially organized by workers in the music industry, and Instagram users have been sharing photos of black squares in solidarity with black victims of police violence. The noble act is also causing a huge issue as well. Instagram users are using the “BlackLivesMatter hashtag in their post’s caption and are inadvertently blacking out posts related to the movement that contains essential information for those in streets peacefully protesting and blocking out videos of police misconduct.
Rapper Chuck Inglish and singer Kehlani pointed out what was happening with posts and retweet a user who shared a video of the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag being taken over by black squares.
Another Twitter user who goes by the handle @anthoknees urged users in a tweet to “stop posting black squares under the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag on Instagram. it is intentionally and unintentionally hiding critical information we are using on the ground and online.”
https://twitter.com/anthoknees/status/1267727095934799872?s=20
Singer Tatianna pointed out that posting off the black boxes is “rendering the hashtag useless.”
These recent developments are leading some to question the Blackout Tuesday protest organized by two Black women Jamila Thomas, senior director of marketing at Atlantic Records, and Brianna Agyemang, a former Atlantic executive.
So it’s definitely not the ops, but this could definitely be chalked up to poor organizing and not enough information being shared. If you haven’t posted a black square on your timeline yet and are planning to, remember DO NOT USE THE #BLACKLIVEMATTERS HASHTAG.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CA7L-o6pMm4/?utm_source=ig_embed
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Photo: NurPhoto / Getty
