Writer Charlotte Manning breaks down the most influential changes that have happened regarding diversity in the fashion industry since #BlackoutTuesday
*Disclaimer: Though this article discusses some positive initiatives, I do not believe that companies should ever expect a pat on the back for doing the bare minimum.
As I'm writing this, it's been 580 days since #BlackoutTuesday, the day when the "Black Square" surfaced Instagram news feeds across timezones. This plain black square's visibility was unavoidable in the digital universe. It was symbolism for something far more urgent than an influencer's photo dump or a brand's new product launch. The Black community was in mourning after the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of structural, white supremacist policing, and the "fluff" of any other Instagram content felt out of place.
Posting the black square and pausing any social engagement for the day was a social media act of solidarity in Black allyship and with the Black Lives Matter movement. The world was angry, and the right words were hard to find… so the hashtag #BlackoutTuesday became the universal way of saying, "We see you."