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Why Fake Activist and Blackout Tuesday Posts Are Sparking Outrage

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3 years ago

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  • Some white protesters are being accused of attending demonstrations for Instagram content, rather than to stand up against racism and police brutality. 
  • Meanwhile, others are criticizing participants of #BlackoutTuesday, pointing out that they are clogging up critical channels of information by using Black Lives Matter hashtags to post all black squares.
  • Some feel that the movement wrongfully encourages silence, and others are asking people to remember that the movement morphed from an initial music industry protest launched by two black women.

Protesting for Content, Not the Cause 

People all across the country have been searching for ways to support the black community and call for justice since the killing of George Floyd, whether it be through protests, donations, or difficult conversations about race. But there are some forms of activism that have been slammed as disingenuous, and others that some feel might actually be hurting the cause. 

First, let’s look at examples of “fake activism” that have sparked some of the most backlash online. Over the past few days, several social media posts have surfaced showing white people seeming to use the ongoing protests for internet content. 

One of the biggest examples of this came from YouTuber Jake Paul, who was accused of looting with his friends in Arizona, which he later denied. Others were angry to see him at the protest at all, believing that he was only there for vlog footage.

But here’s another example you might’ve seen online. In one Twitter post, you can see a conversation between two friends, which was screengrabbed from one of the person’s “close friends” Instagram story. 

In it, one discusses getting drunk and going to a protest, asking “is that like so dangerous.” The other responds with, “omg i’m so down,” followed by “let me find a riot outfit.”

That Twitter post also included an image of what appears to be the two friends posing for a photo at a protest. The Instagram caption reads: “Plz do ur part but do it safely. #blm go out there and do ur part we owe it.”

Once people saw this, the women were met with a ton of backlash since it appeared that they didn’t actually care about the movement and instead went for the thrill and a photo op. 

The woman who posted the protest photo eventually deleted her account, but plenty of others have been slammed for posing at protests as well. 

In one video that has circulated online, a man is seen photographing a white woman in front of a looted T-Mobile store as the person recording gasps.  

And this next clip really had people up in arms. It shows a woman posing with a drill and a worker as if she’s helping board up a store with wood. Then, she thanks the actual worker and heads back into her Mercedes as someone off-camera says, “Good job guys, BLM.” 

A lot of people online have been describing that woman as an “influencer,” but that’s not actually the case. After some digging, many, including New York Times reporter Taylor Lorenz, actually identified her as Fiona Moriarty-McLaughlin, a conservative political writer for the Washinton Examiner. 

People also found her Twitter account, which she set to private and later deleted, but not before someone screengrabbed a tweet she previously wrote that said: “As if vandalizing all the buildings in LA wasn’t enough #Blklivesmatter has taken to the billboards as a crowd of rioters roars in approval.” 

Ouai, the haircare brand that purchased the billboard in that photo actually ended up showing support for the changes to their sign. The brand owner, celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin, said the person in the photo “made our sign even better,” and even wrote on Instagram, “I would have climbed up there myself.”

According to Insider, Moriarty-McLaughlin also allegedly posted other people’s footage from protests to blame vandalization on “Paid #Antifa thugs,” even though there is no evidence to suggest that they were members of the movement.

Criticism of #BlackoutTuesday

So, those were all posts pretty worthy of backlash, but what about activism that seems to come from a good place? 

As you may already know, people all over the world are participating in a movement today called Blackout Tuesday.

That protest was initially spearheaded by two black music executives, Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang. Their initiative is called #TheShowMustBePaused and as part of it, members of the music industry committed to postponing new releases and temporarily suspending business operations.

Instead, they called it a day to “take a beat for an honest, reflective and productive conversation about what actions we need to collectively take to support the Black community.” 

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This was a really important industry to thrust its support behind the black community because as the execs note, it benefits “from the efforts, struggles and successes of back people.” 

But after several labels, streaming services, and artists supported the movement, it started to evolve. Others on social media began sharing images of black squares as a way to show solidarity with black victims of police brutality and racism. At some point, this movement was dubbed Blackout Tuesday, and celebrities started joining in, like Katy Perry, Tom Holland, and Drake. 

Other brands even tried to figure out their own ways to participate, with some like Rihanna’s Fenty labels suspending sales for the day.

The problem here is that, unlike these celebs, a lot of people are uploading these black squares using the hashtags #BLM or #BlackLivesMatter. In response to this, some Twitter users are saying things like: “This is counter-productive. Please understand what ur doing before u do it. Amplify black voices WITHOUT silencing the movement.”

Some big names seemed to agree. Actor Kumail Nanjiani, for instance, asked people to not use Black Lives Matter hashtags, saying “It’s pushing down important and relevant content. Use #BlackOutTuesday.”

Model Gigi Hadid, singer Lizzo, and others also warned against using Black Lives Matter hashtags.

However, another issue with the movement is that it’s also being understood by some as a day to remain silent and not post online. Because of this, Lil Nas X spoke out against it. 

The musical artist wrote on Twitter, “i know y’all mean well but… bro saying stop posting for a day is the worst idea ever”

“ i just really think this is the time to push as hard as ever. i don’t think the movement has ever been this powerful. we don’t need to slow it down by posting nothing. we need to spread info and be as loud as ever.”

He also warned about important posts being drowned out and asked whether it might be a better idea to instead post donation and petition links at the same time.

Singer Kehlani expressed similar concerns in a series of tweets, but she also asked that people remember the original music industry initiative started by two black women.

“Seen less of that tag and proper info on that…industry folks need to specifically boost the ORIGINAL info,” she said.

Concerns about Blackout Tuesday are starting to be heard, so it’s likely that we’ll see different versions of the movement on social media throughout the day. Still, a lot of people are unsure of what they should do.

For example, YouTuber James Charles said Tuesday morning that he’s seen mixed opinions about Blackout Tuesday, so he asked his black followers if they think he should remove his Instagram post, which does not include a Black Lives Matter hashtag. 

Right now, it seems like more and more people are asking that the public not remain silent about the issues at hand and focus their attention on the Black Lives Matter movement. 

Others also ask that if you post a black square, you also do what you can do to support the black community, whether it be by sharing donation links, petitions, or sincerely calling out racism. 

See what others are saying: (Variety) (The Verge) (Dazed)  

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U.S.

Disney Renders DeSantis-Appointed Oversight Board Powerless

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10 hours ago

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March 30, 2023

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The board is looking into avenues for potential legal retaliation, but Disney maintains its actions were “appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums.”

The Fight For Disney’s Special District 

Disney has stripped powers from the board Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) installed to oversee its theme parks, board members claimed. 

According to the Orlando Sentinel, board member Brian Aungst Jr. said Disney’s action “completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern.”

DeSantis has been waging a war against the House of Mouse ever since the company condemned his controversial “Don’t Say Gay” law, which heavily restricts the discussion of sexuality in classrooms. To retaliate against the company, he took control of Disney’s special status that allowed it to operate as a self-governing district with autonomy over the land encompassing and surrounding Walt Disney World. 

Disney operated under that special status for decades under the Reedy Creek Improvement District, but after DeSantis took over, it was changed to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. DeSantis appointed all members of the board, prompting concerns that it could be used to silence and sway Disney on social and cultural issues, including its content. 

The oversight board gets control over infrastructure, property taxes, issue bonds, road and fire services, and other regulations. When DeSantis seized it, it was considered a big loss for the entertainment giant, but now, board members say the company may have lost little to no power at all. 

As first reported by the Sentinel, Disney and the previous board signed an agreement allowing Disney to retain control over much of its land on Feb. 8, the day before Florida’s House signed the bill that gave DeSantis power to stack the board. Disney now holds veto powers over changes to the park, and any changes must be subject to the company’s “prior review and comment” to ensure thematic consistency. 

The agreement also bars the board from using Disney’s name or trademarked characters like Mickey Mouse.

The Board’s Plan to Fight Back

Board members reportedly did not become aware of this until recently and discussed the issue at a Wednesday meeting. 

“This essentially makes Disney the government,” board member Ron Peri said, via Click Orlando. “This board loses, for practical purposes, the majority of its ability to do anything beyond maintain the roads and maintain basic infrastructure.”

The subject of the agreement that has perhaps caught the most public attention is its staying power. The declaration says it will remain “in effect until 21 years after the death of the last survivor of the descendants of King Charles III, King of England living as of the date of this Declaration.” That means that so long as direct members of the royal family are alive, so is this deal. 

According to BBC News, this is known as a “royal lives” clause and its use dates back to the 17th century, though it is rarely used in the U.S.

The board, however, already has plans to push back against Disney and has voted to hire outside legal counsel to evaluate their options.

“We’re going to have to deal with it and correct it,” Aungst said. “It’s a subversion of the will of the voters and the Legislature and the governor. It completely circumvents the authority of this board to govern.”

A spokesperson for DeSantis released a statement claiming that “these agreements may have significant legal infirmities that would render the contracts void as a matter of law.”

Disney maintains everything was above board. 

“All agreements signed between Disney and the district were appropriate and were discussed and approved in open, noticed public forums in compliance with Florida’s Government in the Sunshine law,” the company said. 

See what others are saying: (Orlando Sentinel) (Click Orlando) (The Washington Post)

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U.S.

White Supremacist Propaganda Reached Record High in 2022, ADL Finds

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3 weeks ago

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March 9, 2023

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 “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said.

White supremacist propaganda in the U.S. reached record levels in 2022, according to a report published Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center of Extremism.

The ADL found over 6,700 cases of white supremacist propaganda in 2022, which marks a 38% jump from the nearly 4,900 cases the group found in 2021. It also represents the highest number of incidents ever recorded by the ADL. 

The propaganda tallied by the anti-hate organization includes the distribution of racist, antisemitic, and homophobic flyers, banners, graffiti, and more. This propaganda has spread substantially since 2018, when the ADL found just over 1,200 incidents. 

“There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans with their propaganda,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash.” 

The report found that there were at least 50 white supremacist groups behind the spread of propaganda in 2022, but 93% of it came from just three groups. One of those groups was also responsible for 43% of the white supremacist events that took place last year. 

White supremacist events saw a startling uptick of their own, with the ADL documenting at least 167, a 55% jump from 2021. 

Propaganda was found in every U.S. state except for Hawaii, and events were documented in 33 states, most heavily in Massachusetts, California, Ohio, and Florida.

“The sheer volume of white supremacist propaganda distributions we are documenting around the country is alarming and dangerous,” Oren Segal, Vice President of the ADL’s Center on Extremism said in a statement. “Hardly a day goes by without communities being targeted by these coordinated, hateful actions, which are designed to sow anxiety and create fear.”

“We need a whole-of-society approach to combat this activity, including elected officials, community leaders, and people of good faith coming together and condemning this activity forcefully,” Segal continued. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (The New York Times)

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Business

Adidas Financial Woes Continue, Company on Track for First Annual Loss in Decades

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3 weeks ago

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March 8, 2023

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Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

Yeezy Surplus 

Adidas’ split with musician Kanye West has left the company with financial problems due to surplus Yeezy products, putting the sportswear giant in the position to potentially suffer its first annual loss in over 30 years. 

Adidas dropped West last year after he made a series of antisemitic remarks on social media and other broadcasts. His Yeezy line was a staple for Adidas, and the surplus product is due, in part, to the brand’s own decision to continue production during the split.

According to CEO Bjorn Gulden, Adidas continued production of only the items already in the pipeline to prevent thousands of people from losing their jobs. However, that has led to the unfortunate overabundance of Yeezy sneakers and clothes. 

On Wednesday, Gulden said that selling the shoes and donating the proceeds makes more sense than giving them away due to the Yeezy resale market — which has reportedly shot up 30% since October.

“If we sell it, I promise that the people who have been hurt by this will also get something good out of this,” Gulden said in a statement to the press. 

However, Gulden also said that West is entitled to a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Yeezys per his royalty agreement.

The Numbers 

Adidas announced in February that, following its divergence from West, it is facing potential sales losses totaling around $1.2 billion and profit losses of around $500 million. 

If it decides to not sell any more Yeezy products, Adidas is facing a projected annual loss of over $700 million.

Outside of West, Adidas has taken several heavy profit blows recently. Its operating profit reportedly fell by 66% last year, a total of more than $700 million. It also pulled out of Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year, which cost Adidas nearly $60 million dollars. Additionally, China’s “Zero Covid” lockdowns last year caused in part a 36% drop in revenue for Adidas compared to years prior.

As a step towards a solution, Gulden announced that the company is slashing its dividends from 3.30 euros to 0.70 euro cents per share pending shareholder approval. 

Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

“Adidas has all the ingredients to be successful. But we need to put our focus back on our core: product, consumers, retail partners, and athletes,” Gulden said. “I am convinced that over time we will make Adidas shine again. But we need some time.”

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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