Emma Watson speaks out after criticism for initial Blackout Tuesday Instagram posts: ‘I stand with you’
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Emma Watson is being taken to task by some on social media for her #BlackoutTuesday posts.
Watson -- as well as a number of other celebrities -- has chosen to participate in the social media initiative on Tuesday to pause promotional and commercial content while the world takes a chance to the Black Lives Matter movement and brings deep awareness to racial injustice and police brutality.
Part of the initiative involves posting a black square to Instagram as well as words that uplift the messages of curbing the brutality and injustice experienced by so many in the black community.
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However, Watson posted three black images instead of the one many are sharing and was inundated with backlash by social media users who felt she shared the three black squares for aesthetic rather than substance – as the “Harry Potter” alum also posted three white squares just three days earlier.
Although the “Little Women” performer wrote the appropriate hashtags associated with the BlackoutTuesday movement, a number of detractors accused her of engaging in performative activism and others accusing her of editing the images to fit the look of her carefully curated account.
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“The way emma watson touts herself as an activist and has said nothing but three blank squares on instagram tells you how much of a white feminist she is,” wrote one Twitter critic, while another added, “did emma watson rly [sic] put a damn border on her blackout tuesday post so it would fit her aesthetic… f--k that… and f--k the fact that this is the only time she’s spoken up and it literally contributes NOTHING… miss me with that white feminist bs.”
"Is this all you have? I expected better from an ACTIVIST," said another person. "Emma i'm [sic] so disappointed in you, you claim to be such an activist for everyone and this is all you do? wtf," commented another individual.
Meanwhile, other Watson supporters leaped to her defense and applauded her for using her platform.
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“I have the utmost respect for you,” said one commenter while another added, “She is supporting and getting the message out there as she has the privilege of having such a big platform what more do you want??”
Watson went on to post artwork and poetry from Brooklyn artist Dr. Fahamu Pecou later on Tuesday, noting in the caption that she "was holding off posting until #blackouttuesday ended in the UK."
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In addition, she also shared another post with words denouncing racism and white supremacy with the caption, “I stand with you.”
“There is so much racism, both in our past and present, that is not acknowledged nor 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," a slide in the post reads.
Emma Watson (Reuters)
It continues: “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. I’m still learning about the many ways I unconsciously support and uphold a system that is structurally racist.
“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," she concludes.