A glance around your workplace is probably enough to confirm: The work boycott proposed for today by Grey’s Anatomy actor Isaiah Washington to galvanize the Black Lives Matter movement didn’t pan out as planned. Not only did black Americans show up to work Monday as usual but Washington also faced a backlash over his relative privilege, as well as his previous controversial remarks about gays.
Washington suggested the strike last week to show solidarity with Black Lives Matter and to protest police violence.
“Imagine if every single African American in the United States that was really fed up with being angry, sad and disgusted, would pick ONE DAY to simply ‘stay at home’ from every single job, work site, sports arena and government office in the United States of America,” Washington posted on Facebook last week, setting Sept. 26 for the proposed boycott. “I’m very sure that within 72 hours from Wall Street to the NFL… Black Lives Would Matter.”
The call to action went viral, with many saying they couldn’t afford to skip work.
Isaiah Washington is wealthy. Is he going to pay our bills when we lose our jobs? https://t.co/9Stm45LVs1
— Delicate Snowflake (@StilettoRoyalty) September 26, 2016
Isaiah Washington can tell everyone to skip work cuz he's rich and doesn't have rent and bills to pay
— Kimberly Anne Parker (@imanib123) September 23, 2016
.@IWashington living the American dream thinks (black) people should skip school and work today to protest #Anger. Can ANYONE afford that?
— Cindy Bowman (@Cinderellacmb) September 26, 2016
so did anyone participate in the boycott Isaiah Washington called for or do you have bills to pay like me?
— Darla Dimple (@ariellecollette) September 26, 2016
I hope he is talking celebrities. I can not afford to take off work. Some of if live below the poverty level. Not https://t.co/Bo15B2Bq1W
— Phoenix Rising (@Got_Hair) September 26, 2016
Ain't no Rich man gonna tell me to boycott shit and he not giving me no money.
— Super Cunny (@CruzanChoklate) September 25, 2016
Isaiah Washington gon pay these bills when we get fired for "boycotting work"?? Lol #dumb
— Miss Jasmine (@iJazzy1) September 25, 2016
Isaiah Washington gon get y'all fired on Monday…
— Rambinho (@Al_RamBro) September 23, 2016
Others noted that Washington is an unlikely social-justice warrior; he was fired from Grey’s Anatomy in 2007 after publicly calling T.R. Knight a “faggot” during an on-set dispute, and using the same word backstage during the Golden Globes.
I had to go to work. But since when did Isaiah Washington become the face of our movement. No1 remembers him using the F word?! https://t.co/PG8YTFhaRZ
— AJ (@Black5thavenue_) September 26, 2016
@TIME what if every person who was offended Isaiah Washington used a homophobic slur to refer to his coworker stayed home from work one day?
— Rebekka (@TrueSloanRanger) September 26, 2016
Really Isaiah Washington? So the dude that got fired from his job is telling people not to go to their job. Bruh.
— oreathia smith (@oreathiasmith) September 25, 2016
Fired for calling a gay co-worker a "faggot" & wants people to do what he says…. #thanksnothanks https://t.co/Xw5s91cc65
— Andrea Harp (@AndreaHarp1) September 25, 2016
Nope. I own my own business. Not shutting it down. But isn't Isaiah Washington the man who was fired from… https://t.co/NIT5TKRc1j
— Stacie Towe (@Towebella) September 25, 2016
