On Tuesday, June 2, a large part of the music industry will shut down operations to protest the killings of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, Ahmoud Arberry, and other black people in police and racist attacks. Launched by black music executives Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang and spread by the hashtag #TheShowMustBePaused, the event was founded to "observe the longstanding racism and inequality that exists from the boardroom to the main street," and further to "start an honest, reflective, and productive conversation about what actions we collectively need to take to support the Black community."

On Tuesday, record labels such as Def Jam Recordings, Island Records, Sony Music, Capitol Records, and Warner Music Group all ceased operations, including MTV, Comedy Central, VH1, Logo ViacomCBS channels will also join, People reports (opens in new tab). On Monday afternoon, the ViacomCBS channel went dark for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the time white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt at George Floyd's neck before his death. Similarly, Spotify has promised to include the 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence in certain podcasts and playlists, reports The Guardian (opens in new tab). [Some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Nile Rodgers, Billy Irish, Quincy Jones, and the Rolling Stones, have also announced their participation. Jones said on Instagram, "I don't know what to say, because I've been dealing with racism all my life. Nevertheless, racism is rearing its ugly head right now. My team and I will stand up for justice."

In a statement on Instagram and the campaign website (opens in new tab), Thomas and Agyeman explained why they launched #TheShowMustBePaused. In the wake of the police killings of George Floyd, Breanna Taylor, Ahmoud Arberry, and countless other black citizens, #TheShowMustBePaused was created to observe the longstanding racism and inequality that exists from the boardroom to Main Street in the music world. The initiative was created by two Black women who are active in the music industry."

"We are not going to continue business as usual with no regard for black lives.

"This is a day to lay down a beat for an honest, reflective, and productive conversation about what actions we should take as a collective to support the Black community," the statement continues. The music industry is a multi-billion dollar industry." The music industry is a multi-billion dollar industry that has primarily benefited from Black arts. Our mission is to hold the entire industry accountable, including large corporations and their partners who benefit from the efforts, struggles, and successes of black people."

Some social media users have urged those attending the event, which now includes individuals and industries beyond the music sphere, not to use the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter or #blm when posting black squares. As musicians Kehlani, Jan Baby Tate, and model Salem Mitchell have pointed out, flooding hashtags with images of black people can prevent people from finding information and resources that would normally be shared under those tags.

Actor Aisha Hines and others have urged non-black people to use the event to elevate black voices and businesses.

Others, including Lil Nas X, feared that widespread participation in the event would dampen the momentum of online protests.

In a statement, Thomas and Agyemang said the protest would not end with Tuesday's blackout. 'This is not just a 24-hour effort. We intend to continue this struggle for the long haul. 'A plan of action will be announced.'