Emma Watson Responds To Backlash Over Blackout Tuesday Posts
By Paris Close
June 3, 2020
Emma Watson is being criticized for her recent political posts.
Yesterday, the Harry Potter alum was called out for seemingly prioritizing her social media aesthetic when sharing posts supporting the Blackout Tuesday campaign.
The initiative involved commercial businesses and public figures going silent on social media to stand in solidarity with the Black community in response to the fatal arrest of George Floyd — often expressed by sharing a single black square on Instagram with hashtags like “#theshowmustbepaused” and “#amplifymelanatedvoices.”
Watson participated, however, fans were skeptical as the star shared three black squares instead of one. It only became a big deal once fans realized she’d posted three white squares days prior, leading many to accuse her of performative activism because she didn’t make any statements affirming her stance as an ally to the Black community.
"Is this all you have? I expected better from an ACTIVIST," one user commented.
"Emma i'm so disappointed in you, you claim to be such an activist for everyone and this is all you do? wtf," another wrote.
The Little Women actress quickly returned to Instagram with an explanation hours later. “I was holding off posting until #blackouttuesday ended in the UK.,” she explained, sharing a post featuring artwork and a poem from Brooklyn artist Dr. Fahamu Pecou.
Affirming her support for the Black community, Watson captioned another post with “I stand with you,” and shared the following message: “There is so much racism, both in our past and present, that is not acknowledged or accounted for. White supremacy is one of the systems of hierarchy and dominance, of exploitation and oppression, that is tightly stitched into society. As a white person, I have benefited from this..”
“Whilst we might feel that, as individuals, we’re working hard internally to be anti-racist, we need to work harder externally to actively tackle the structural and institutional racism around us," she added. "I’m still learning about the many ways I unconsciously support and uphold a system that is structurally racist."
She concluded: “Over the coming days, I’ll be using my bio link and Twitter to share links to resources I’ve found useful for my own researching, learning, listening. I see your anger, sadness and pain. I cannot know what this feels like for you but it doesn’t mean I won’t try to."
Photo: Getty Images