Stars post black squares on social media to spotlight police brutality – but some don’t think it’s a good idea

Celebrities from Katy Perry and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson to Susan Sarandon are shining a light on police brutality by posting completely black photos on social media -- but not everyone thinks it’s a good idea.

When posting a solid black block on Instagram, many celebrities used the hashtags #BlackoutTuesday and #justiceforgeorgefloyd. Blackout Tuesday is just one of the many forms of protest some have participated in as the nation grapples with George Floyd's death.

Jon Bon Jovi, Steve Harvey, Don Cheadle, Kevin Bacon, Mandy Moore, Tiffany Trump, Ben Affleck, Ryan Reynolds, Jamie Lee Curtis and Chelsea Handler are among the dozens of other celebrities who have participated.

CNN’s A. J. Willingham wrote a piece headlined, “Why posting a black image with the 'Black Lives Matter' hashtag could be doing more harm than good,” which explained potential issues with the particular protest.

“While these posts may be well-intended, several activists and influencers have pointed out that posting a blank black image with a bunch of tags clogs up critical channels of information and updates,” Willingham wrote in reference to specifically using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter.

“Protests are still raging around the country. Arrests are piling up by the thousands. Visibility for different groups and activist projects are key right now. And one of the most common ways to keep track of all of this is by monitoring o... (Read more)

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