Nickelodeon showed their support for George Floyd by going off the air for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.
The number has significance since it represents the exact amount of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s neck before he died.
Nickelodeon made this announcement on Instagram before going off-air:
“Nickelodeon is going off the air for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in support of justice, equality, and human rights.”
The screen then went orange and its “Declaration of Kids’ Rights’ played across the screen. “You have the right to be seen, heard, and respected as a citizen of the world,” a statement read. “You have the right to a world that is peaceful.”
There were many parents who felt uncomfortable saying that the children’s network was not the platform to get political. Is it really political though?
Nickelodeon responded to that comment and said, “Unfortunately, some kids live in fear every day. It’s our job to use our platform to make sure their voices are heard and their stories are told.”
I understand where some parents are coming from but I feel that if you don’t start having these conversations early, you’ll have to explain more about how this country works when they get older. I think Nick made the right move and for any kids that were scared by what was happening, it’s the parents’ job to explain.
What do you think?