The Houston Rockets are among many NBA teams, along with the league’s official account, to join today’s “Blackout Tuesday” movement on social media. Players including former MVP and nine-time All-Star Russell Westbrook also participated on their own personal accounts.
As protests and unrest over the death of George Floyd continue around the United States, the movement was started by music executives Jamila Thomas and Brianna Agyemang. They planned for Tuesday, June 2 to be a day to pause all business and take a stand against the “racism and inequality that exists from the boardroom to the boulevard.”
“The Show Must Be Paused” movement, which has since expanded well beyond the music industry, has led to people posting all black images to Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.
Participants are being asked not to use the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag in their blank image posts, as this can clog social media feeds for users who are looking to find relevant information about the protests. Unlike some other teams, the Rockets complied with this request.
Earlier this week, the Rockets issued this statement on Floyd’s death:
We mourn for and are angered by the senseless death of George Floyd, a man raised in Houston’s Third Ward. Inexcusably, our black community continues to be subject to racism, bigotry, prejudice, and fear. This must end. All people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. We condemn violence in all forms. As an organization, we are committed to working with our players, coaches, employees, and community leaders to affect meaningful and lasting change.
The team’s message concluded with this quote from the late Martin Luther King Jr.: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Further information on the fallout from Floyd’s death around the United States is available at usatoday.com.
