"Remember the black squares?" (June 2021)
Dublin Core
Title
"Remember the black squares?" (June 2021)
Subject
social media
white allyship
Black creators
Black square
white allyship
Black creators
Black square
Language
English
Description
This mostly black-and-white slideshow recalls the June 2020 Instagram Black Square controversy on its one year anniversary (2 June 2021), assessing its impact on the state of activism.
Creator
@kindred.leaders
Date
2021-06-02
Contributor
Matthew Salzano
Instagram Slideshow Item Type Metadata
URL
https://www.instagram.com/p/CPn0N0Mh3TK/?utm_medium=copy_link
Text Transcription
1. 1 YEAR AGO TODAY 28 MILLION ACCOUNTS ON INSTAGRAM POSTED A BLACK SQUARE
SINCE THEN...
2. LESS THAN 1% OF CORPORATE PLEDGES FROM JUNE 2020 HAVE BEEN GIVEN
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, LAWS ARE POPPING UP TO RESTRICT TEACHING ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM IN SCHOOLS
SUPPORT FROM WHITE PEOPLE FOR #BLM IS AT A LOW
POLlICE BRUTALlTY TOWARDS PROTESTORS HAS INCREASED
BLACK PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BE KILLED BY THE POLICE AT HIGHER RATES THAN WHITE PEOPLE
3. WHITEFLUENCERS WHO #MUTED, #PRAYED, AND #LISTENED HAVE REMAINED SILENT ALL YEAR
ALL THE WHILE...
4. BLACK INFLUENCERS CONTINUE TO BE PAID LESS AND HELD TO HIGHER STANDARDS BY BRANDS THAN THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS
BLACK CREATORS ON INSTAGRAM CONTINUE TO FACE BIAS FROM INSTAGRAM ITSELF
WHITEFLUENCERS CLAIM "CANCEL CULTURE'' VICTIMIZATION WHEN CALLED TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR SILENCE
5.COMPANIES' INFLUENCER MARKETING BUDGETS ARE DRASTICALLY RISING
INSTAGRAM, WITH MORE THAN 1 BILLION USERS, IS THE MOST LUCRATIVE PLATFORM FOR INFLUENCER MARKETING
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WILL BE PUMPED INTO INFLUENCER MARKETING THIS YEAR
MILLIONS OF WHITEFLUENCER FOLLOWERS WILL "SWIPE UP" AT THE DROP OF A HAT WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE IMPACT OF THEIR ACTIONS, FOLLOWS, AND MONEY
6. IF YOU ARE A WHITE PERSON WHO POSTED A BLACK SQUARE 1 YEAR AGO TODAY
SCREENSHOT & SHARE THE FOLLOWING...
7. 1 YEAR AGO TODAY, I POSTED A BLACK SQUARE
FOR THE NEXT YEAR, I PLEDGE TO DO THE FOLLOWING IN SUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES:
IF YOU FOLLOW ME, I INVITE YOU TO CHECK IN, INQUIRE, AND HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE.
8. 1 YEAR AGO TODAY, I POSTED A BLACK SQUARE
FOR THE NEXT YEAR, I PLEDGE TO DO THE FOLLOWING IN SUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES:
amplify Black voices every week on my account
deepen my systems of accountability & analysis around my whiteness
follow, share, & support Black influencers & businesses
speak up, name, unfollow, and show up in influencer spaces & with brands re: the shitshow that is whitefluencing
take more action in my own local community
increase my $$ giving to Black, trans, & disabled mutual aid
IF YOU FOLLOW ME, I INVITE YOU TO CHECK IN, INQUIRE, AND HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE.
9. whitefluencer
noun
A white, cisgender woman with a large social media following who profits off of product placement and endorsements and remains socially and political neutral at all costs to maximize followers and profits.
SINCE THEN...
2. LESS THAN 1% OF CORPORATE PLEDGES FROM JUNE 2020 HAVE BEEN GIVEN
ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, LAWS ARE POPPING UP TO RESTRICT TEACHING ABOUT SYSTEMIC RACISM IN SCHOOLS
SUPPORT FROM WHITE PEOPLE FOR #BLM IS AT A LOW
POLlICE BRUTALlTY TOWARDS PROTESTORS HAS INCREASED
BLACK PEOPLE CONTINUE TO BE KILLED BY THE POLICE AT HIGHER RATES THAN WHITE PEOPLE
3. WHITEFLUENCERS WHO #MUTED, #PRAYED, AND #LISTENED HAVE REMAINED SILENT ALL YEAR
ALL THE WHILE...
4. BLACK INFLUENCERS CONTINUE TO BE PAID LESS AND HELD TO HIGHER STANDARDS BY BRANDS THAN THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS
BLACK CREATORS ON INSTAGRAM CONTINUE TO FACE BIAS FROM INSTAGRAM ITSELF
WHITEFLUENCERS CLAIM "CANCEL CULTURE'' VICTIMIZATION WHEN CALLED TO ACCOUNT FOR THEIR SILENCE
5.COMPANIES' INFLUENCER MARKETING BUDGETS ARE DRASTICALLY RISING
INSTAGRAM, WITH MORE THAN 1 BILLION USERS, IS THE MOST LUCRATIVE PLATFORM FOR INFLUENCER MARKETING
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WILL BE PUMPED INTO INFLUENCER MARKETING THIS YEAR
MILLIONS OF WHITEFLUENCER FOLLOWERS WILL "SWIPE UP" AT THE DROP OF A HAT WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE IMPACT OF THEIR ACTIONS, FOLLOWS, AND MONEY
6. IF YOU ARE A WHITE PERSON WHO POSTED A BLACK SQUARE 1 YEAR AGO TODAY
SCREENSHOT & SHARE THE FOLLOWING...
7. 1 YEAR AGO TODAY, I POSTED A BLACK SQUARE
FOR THE NEXT YEAR, I PLEDGE TO DO THE FOLLOWING IN SUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES:
IF YOU FOLLOW ME, I INVITE YOU TO CHECK IN, INQUIRE, AND HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE.
8. 1 YEAR AGO TODAY, I POSTED A BLACK SQUARE
FOR THE NEXT YEAR, I PLEDGE TO DO THE FOLLOWING IN SUPPORT OF BLACK LIVES:
amplify Black voices every week on my account
deepen my systems of accountability & analysis around my whiteness
follow, share, & support Black influencers & businesses
speak up, name, unfollow, and show up in influencer spaces & with brands re: the shitshow that is whitefluencing
take more action in my own local community
increase my $$ giving to Black, trans, & disabled mutual aid
IF YOU FOLLOW ME, I INVITE YOU TO CHECK IN, INQUIRE, AND HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE.
9. whitefluencer
noun
A white, cisgender woman with a large social media following who profits off of product placement and endorsements and remains socially and political neutral at all costs to maximize followers and profits.
Instagram caption
Remember the black squares?
Yeah, same.
Not that anyone really expected a black square to do anything...but here we are a year later with some major strides and some even greater setbacks and losses.
There is urgency to do more and yet we (why’re folks) must ensure our solidarity is not reduced to urgent, empty actions - but rather deep, authentic, and accountable commitments.
Today we are calling on whyte folks to think about the coming year...and not just WHAT you will do, but HOW you will show up and - most importantly - how you will invite accountability into your efforts as you take action for Black lives.
Yeah, same.
Not that anyone really expected a black square to do anything...but here we are a year later with some major strides and some even greater setbacks and losses.
There is urgency to do more and yet we (why’re folks) must ensure our solidarity is not reduced to urgent, empty actions - but rather deep, authentic, and accountable commitments.
Today we are calling on whyte folks to think about the coming year...and not just WHAT you will do, but HOW you will show up and - most importantly - how you will invite accountability into your efforts as you take action for Black lives.
Image Description
White text on a black background, including a slide that leaves empty space for users to fill in. The last slide looks like a dictionary screenshot of the word whitefluencer.
Number of likes on post
38,577
Number of followers on account
11,300
Citation
@kindred.leaders, “"Remember the black squares?" (June 2021),” Instagram Slideshow Archive, accessed May 3, 2024, https://instagramslideshows.omeka.net/items/show/3.
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