Skip to Content
Humans and technology

Instagram’s blackout means well—but doing these 4 things is more useful

June 2, 2020
A mural in the memory of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Mn.
A mural in the memory of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Mn.MUNSHOTS UNSPLASH

“Blackout Tuesday” has overtaken Instagram, but there are more effective ways to show support.

What’s Blackout Tuesday? If you’ve been on Instagram today, you may notice black posts. The movement was started by musicians calling for “an urgent step of action to provoke accountability and change." But if you want to support the protests against police brutality without marching, there are many other useful ways to do so.

  1. If you can afford to, donate money. In the immediate aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, activists urged people to donate to local organizations such as the Minnesota Freedom Fund and Black Visions Collective. But the movement has outgrown Minnesota. The American Civil Liberties Union, the Bail Project, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund are among those seeking donations. Medical donations are also being accepted to help injured protestors, including North Star Health Collective and the Gas Mask Fund.
  2. You don’t need to have cash to help. Consider calling to ask protesters and organizers if they need basics such as water, masks, hand sanitizer, even snacks. These supplies can be critical for protestors. If you’re in a city that’s seen looting, see how you can help with cleanup or beautification efforts.
  3. Call those in power. It’s an election year. If you care about police brutality and accountability, take the time to look at candidate stances and records and vote. Call your representatives to demand attention to police brutality.
  4. Confront your own biases. You might not think of yourself as a racist, but it’s important to understand how your words and actions can hurt people of color. Reading antiracist books is a good first step, but do more. Point out when a person is showing their white privilege: things they might benefit from as a white person that a person of color might have trouble accessing. Consider supporting a business owned by someone of color. It’s easier said than done and can sometimes be uncomfortable, but these smaller steps can lead to greater understanding.
  5. <

Deep Dive

Humans and technology

Unlocking the power of sustainability

A comprehensive sustainability effort embraces technology, shifting from risk reduction to innovation opportunity.

Building a data-driven health-care ecosystem

Harnessing data to improve the equity, affordability, and quality of the health care system.

Let’s not make the same mistakes with AI that we made with social media

Social media’s unregulated evolution over the past decade holds a lot of lessons that apply directly to AI companies and technologies.

People are worried that AI will take everyone’s jobs. We’ve been here before.

In a 1938 article, MIT’s president argued that technical progress didn’t mean fewer jobs. He’s still right.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.