#BlackOutTuesday: Candice Patton and Arrowverse stars urge fans to educate themselves before joining cause
It began with the music industry protesting the death of George Floyd, a man who was murdered by a cop last week. Music labels gave their employees the day off on Tuesday “to disconnect from work and reconnect with our community”, but now, the Blackout Tuesday movement has taken hold in the entertainment industry as most celebrities are weighing in and are expressing their solidarity with the movement.
Social media is flooded with people sharing plain black posts, accompanied by the trending hashtag. There is a strong disagreement on the subject, about how celebrities can still protest, without disrupting crucial information being disseminated, that spreads through social media channels on hashtags.
The Arrowverse cast has been in full swing and posting regularly about the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests, using their platform to take a stand. Kendrick Sampson, who played DeVoe in 'The Flash', shared a message on his Instagram story saying that while he strongly shared the sentiment of #BlackOutTuesday, he would not participate in it. He wrote, "I share the same feelings. I won't be participating, but totally understand the sentiment. If that's what you decide is for you, please keep a critical eye on social media for the truth, pertinent info to care for, protect protesters nationwide and spread good info. Don't pair the blackout hashtag with any other social justice hashtags so people follw those important hashtags." In his next story, he said that he would be posting about Black Liberation efforts, and to 'keep the pressure up'. Grant Gustin, who plays The Flash, reposted several of his stories. Sampson was shot four times by rubber bullets at the LA protest that took place last Saturday, May 30.
Candice Patton, who plays Iris West on 'The Flash' has been sharing stories consistently on the Black Lives Matter movement, and also requested people to not tag Black Lives Matter/ BLM with a black square. In another story, she requested people to donate to Black Lives Matter in Los Angeles. In her last story, she shared a photo that read, "I wish America loved Black People, the way they loved Black Culture."
Danielle Nicolet who plays Cecile Horton on 'The Flash', wrote a cryptic message on her Instagram story, "To my white friends, you will never know what its like if someone secretly believes that you are inherently less than they are."
Gustin, Melissa Benoist, Chyler Leigh have been frequently sharing posts about donations to the Black Lives Matter cause, as well as powerful quotes on racial injustice, requesting their fans and followers to please educate themselves and join the cause to end systemic racism.