WMG CEO Steve Cooper and head of HR Masha Osherova sent out the following companywide letter to acknowledge the impact of the killing of George Floyd and other racist violence, and the national outpouring of grief and anger in its wake. "We stand in solidarity," the message reads, "with everyone who refuses to be silent at this moment of crisis." On 6/2, the company will observe a "Black Out Tuesday."

Hi everyone,

Along with people all over the world, we are outraged by the violent killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Sadly, this is the latest in a long line of racist incidents perpetrated by those in authority. As a company, we condemn prejudice and violence in all forms, and we stand in solidarity with everyone who refuses to be silent at this moment of crisis.

We know that many of you are experiencing a range of emotions – sadness, grief, anger, depression, frustration – and we want you to know that we are here to support you. As you may have heard, a movement has been launched – #THESHOWMUSTBEPAUSED – which calls for everyone in the music industry to take this Tuesday, June 2nd, as a day to disconnect from work, process this tragedy, and focus on accountability and change.

As one of our people so eloquently wrote: “I feel it’s important that as a company we support this initiative and offer our people a day off to engage in this important conversation. As we know, music relies on diversity of thought… Warner should support its black employees on this matter and on this day... business should not go on as usual.”

We wholeheartedly agree. On June 2, Warner Music Group will observe what some people are calling “Black Out Tuesday” and everyone can take a day out from their jobs. Please use this time to concentrate on helping yourself and others – whether that’s dealing with your own feelings, supporting your friends and colleagues, or taking action. We continue to listen and learn from all of you, so please reach out to us with any thoughts, concerns, or ideas for how we can make a difference.

This will be just one day, and we must continue to fight for real change.

As part of this, we’re contributing to Black Lives Matter and other organizations that are doing crucial work to combat racial injustice. Below are a few ways you can get involved:

Text FLOYD to 55156 to sign the Justice for George Floyd petition.
Add your name to the Justice for George Floyd petition at change.org.
Donate to the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund set up by his family and to organizations like Black Lives Matter.

Steve & Masha