Nickelodeon and several other Viacom networks paused their regular programming to broadcast a message showing solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement this week and all those protesting in the name of George Floyd.
Monday, networks all over the country deviated from their schedules for eight minutes and 46 seconds. It was a time that was intentionally chosen to imitate the amount of time Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on the neck of Floyd.
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While some parents voiced complaints about the strong message being sent to their children they appeared to be a vocal minority.
The network also shared a message they dubbed the “Declaration of Kids’ Rights.”
The declaration read, “You have the right to be seen, heard, and respected as a citizen of the world. You have the right to a world that is peaceful. You have the right to be treated with equality, regardless of the color of your skin. You have the right to be protected from harm, injustice, and hatred. You have the right to an education that prepares you to run the world. You have the right to your opinions and feelings, even if others don’t agree with them.”
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we are all part of the change #blacklivesmatter
✊🏿✊🏾✊🏽✊🏼✊🏻 pic.twitter.com/Y3Fzvob54X— Nickelodeon (@Nickelodeon) June 1, 2020
Further solidifying their stance on the current protests, the company aired a video message directly addressing Floyd’s death, in which viewers could hear a person breathing as a written message flashed across the screen that said: “I CAN’T BREATHE.”
This video also lasted 8 minutes and 46 seconds and went up on several major Viacom channels including MTV, VH1, Comedy Central, and TV Land, in addition to Nick.
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The post Nickelodeon goes off air for 8 minutes and 46 seconds to honor George Floyd appeared first on TheGrio.
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