GRAMMYs 2018: Wearing White Roses Needs to Mean More Than Just a Fashion Statement

Some of the biggest music executives have called upon artists to show their support with the Time's Up movement by wearing white roses at the 2018 GRAMMYs on Sunday. But while the sentiment is heartfelt, donning an accessory doesn't show enough action when many people are still silent about the music industry's dark underbelly.

According to Billboard, Meg Harkins, Senior VP at Roc Nation and Karen Rait, head of rhythmic promotions at Interscope/Geffen/A&M Records came together to organize the movement. They chose the white rose because it is a practical and traditional accessory with a symbolic color, referencing Hillary Clinton and the suffragettes (which is a slightly problematic issue in of itself since it excludes countless people of color). "It is an important conversation politically in our country and it's also a conversation we need to have internally with our artists and our companies," Harkins explained. "We need to say if anyone is feeling like they're being discriminated against and they don't feel safe in their workplace, they have people who will support them."

Since their announcement, Halsey, Rapsody, Kelly Clarkson, Cyndi Lauper, Dua Lipa, Rita Ora, Tom Morello and more have confirmed they will participate in the movement. It was inspired by the 2018 Golden Globes earlier this month, where actors wore all black and Times' Up pins. But as highlighted with that awards show, this support of solidarity can lead to hypocrisy.