(AllHipHop News) Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Hilary Swank are among the stars handing over their Instagram pages to black writers, businesswomen, and activists for one day as part of a new social media campaign.
On Wednesday, for one day only, a host of white women with large Instagram followings, including the Hollywood stars will use their platforms to amplify the work of black women they are partnering with as part of the #ShareTheMicNow initiative.
Devised by Bozoma Saint John, the chief marketing officer (CMO) at media firm Endeavor, as well as authors Luvvie Ajayi Jones and Glennon Doyle, and fashion designer Stacey Bendet, the initiative aims to “magnify” black women’s lives and create new bonds to promote activism.
Other stars handing over their accounts include Kourtney Kardashian, Ashley Graham, Brandi Carlile, and Chelsea Handler.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, its organizers said its four goals are: “To form a social media campaign that magnifies Black women’s lives and stories. To form relationships among Black women and white women – so that our future activism is born from relationships. To create a network of disruptors who know and trust each other. To create action that could make change.”
In all, 46 black women will take over the accounts of 46 white women, to reach 300 million of their combined Instagram followers.
Notable takeovers include fashion and beauty editor Kahlana Barfield Brown working with Roberts, actress and transgender activist Angelica Ross partnering with Swank, and the founder of the Mama Glow maternity brand Latham Thomas teaming up with Paltrow.
Human rights activist Opal Tometi will be posting on Graham’s account, while Saint John herself will work with Kourtney Kardashian.
Others involved in the project include Busy Philipps, Chrissy Metz, Debra Messing, Diane von Furstenberg, Julianne Hough, Mandy Moore, Sarah Paulson, Selma Blair, and Sophia Bush.
The #ShareTheMicNow campaign follows weeks of protests against racial injustice in America following the death of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis, Minnesota.