What Is #TheShowMustBePaused and Blackout Tuesday?

In response to the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and subsequent nationwide protests against police brutality, the music industry intends to shut down for what it's calling Blackout Tuesday.

Promoted Monday under the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused, Blackout Tuesday was originally proposed by Atlantic Records executive Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang of the talent development company Platoon, and was subsequently endorsed by major labels, radio stations, record stores and other music industry figures and organizations.

Citing "the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless other Black citizens at the hands of the police," Thomas and Agyemang describe Blackout Tuesday as an intentional disruption of the workweek and an opportunity for the multi-billion dollar music industry "that has profited predominantly from Black art" to both hold themselves accountable and fulfill "the obligation of these entities to protect and empower the Black communities that have made them disproportionately wealthy."

In addition to concert venues, recording studios and record labels, #TheShowMustBePaused also attracted support from musical artists, including Quincy Jones, Peter Gabriel and the Rolling Stones.

Other musical artists are also speaking in favor of the protests and the Black Lives Matter movement, including Beyonce, Rihanna and Ariana Grande.

In addition to the called-for "day to take a beat for an honest, reflective and productive conversation," Thomas and Agyemang also provided links to several avenues of action for those supporting the protests, including GoFundMes for George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery, as well as links out to the Fight for Breonna website and bail funds for those arrested during the protests. They also pointed Blackout Tuesday supporters to the Black Lives Matter movement-affiliated organization Movement for Black Lives and additional anti-racism resources.

Protests began after the May 25 death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man who was killed in police custody after officers with the Minneapolis Police Department pulled him from his vehicle. A few minutes into the attempted arrest, another police car arrives with officers Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao, both of whom have a long history of previous complaints, including a brutality lawsuit and previous police police shootings. Chauvin pulled Floyd from the back of the police car, pressed him to the ground and pressed a knee against Floyd's neck, while two other officers—Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Keung—pressed down on his back.

Despite Floyd protesting that he was unable to breathe, Chauvin kept his knee pressed against the man's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds, maintaining the pressure for nearly three minutes after Chauvin was no longer responsive.

Police in the United States killed 1,098 people in 2019 and black Americans are nearly three times as likely to be killed by police than white Americans, according to Vox. (Black Americans are also 1.4 times more likely to be unarmed, compared to white people killed by the police, as pointed out by Vox.)

Floyd's death prompted days of protests against police brutality, which have led more than 40 cities across the U. S. to impose curfews.