Eight minutes and 46 seconds. That was the length of time George Floyd was pinned down by the now-former Minneapolis police officer Dereck Chauvin by the neck with his knee, resulting in Floyd’s death and resulted in protests in the US.
Spotify will honour George Floyd by adding in 8:46-minute moment of silence to select playlists and podcasts on its platform as a solemn acknowledgment for the length of time that George Floyd was suffocated. The company wanted to use its platform to amplify black voices so that they can be heard around the world.
“June 2 is Black Out Tuesday, a day of collective disconnect from work meant to help people reflect and come together in support of the Black community. On this day and every day, Spotify will support our employees, friends, partners, artists, and creators in the fight against racism, injustice, and inequity. We are using the power of our platform to stand with Black creators, amplify their voices, and accelerate meaningful conversation and long-needed change. As a result, you’ll notice some changes on Spotify starting at 12:01 AM on Tuesday,” the company said on its blog post.
In addition to this, Spotify said that all its listeners will be able to see a black logo and headline image on more than a dozen of their flagship playlist and podcasts including ‘Today Top Hits’ and ‘RapCaviar’, the company will also pause social publication as a symbol of solidarity.
The company also said that it would have a special curation of select songs on each of the blacked-out playlists to reflect the current environment happening in the states from artists like Kendrick Lamar, Gary Clark Jr, and Rhiannon Giddens.
The company encourages everyone around the world to observe Black Out Tuesday to reflect and educate themselves on what it means to be an effective ally to the black community. Spotify will also match financial donations made by its employees to organizations focused on the fight against racism, injustice, inequity, and driving meaningful change.