Taylor Hill/Getty Images for Boston CallingParamore has removed a Riot!-inspired poster featuring the names of Black people killed by police from the band's web store after receiving criticism.
The poster, which was captured in a screengrab before it was taken down, featured names such as George Floyd, Eric Garner and Breonna Taylor spelled out in the same font and design from the cover of Paramore's 2007 album. It's based on a design created by an artist named Robbie McElligott, which went viral in June after Hayley Williams retweeted it. Proceeds from the poster would be donated to Color of Change and the NAACP.
After the poster was unveiled, some felt it was inappropriate and "harmful."
"I don't need to see the names of dead Black folks in the style of Riot to feel sympathy," one Twitter user wrote. "I don't need white people hanging up posters naming hanged Black ppl."
In a thread announcing that the poster would be taken down, Williams explains she and Paramore "wanted to signal boost [the design] and create another small way to help give to [organizations] who are fighting against racial inequities and injustices," but acknowledges "it does no good if it causes more offense than it honors the actual cause."
"This is no slight to the fan who designed it," Williams writes. "However, the last thing that we, as white people, should do in the midst of this is cause more confusion and potential harm."
"Thank you to the fans who wrote me about this for calling it like they see it -- continuing to educate and have hard conversations," she continues. "To those who saw the poster and were triggered, I really am sorry. We are passionate about this issue and will continue to deepen our understanding!"
By Josh Johnson
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