Nickelodeon Aired a Powerful 'I Can't Breathe' Commercial in Tribute to George Floyd

As protests and demonstrations for George Floyd continue to take place in all 50 states of the U.S., a number of companies have showed their support for Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement with statements and donations. Ben & Jerry’s posted a moving statement about racism and white supremacy, while Bank of America has pledged $1 billion to help communities address economic and racial inequality.

On Monday, June 1, Nickelodeon released a powerful commercial in honor of Floyd, and it lasted for 8 minutes and 46 seconds—the same amount of time Officer Derek Chauvin had his knee on Floyd’s neck, even as he begged for air and lost consciousness. The commercial also aired on Viacom networks including VH1.

As you watch the commercial, you hear breathing sounds, and the words “I can’t breathe” flash across the screen. The commercial also includes a call for viewers to join Color of Change to call on public officials to take real action against racism. The organization helps to organize both online and in-person actions and events for people to stand up to racial injustice.

On Instagram, Nickelodeon further expanded on why they decided to go off the air and showcase the commercial: “You have the right to be seen, heard and respected as a citizen of the world. You have the right to a world that is peaceful. You have the right to be treated with equality, regardless of the color of your skin. You have the right to be protected from harm, injustice and hatred.”

And while there has been some backlash to the commercial, the majority of comments have been positive, with parents and viewers sharing their thoughts online:

Nickelodeon said what tf they said! pic.twitter.com/XV71zovic1

People griping at Nickelodeon for the “I Can’t Breathe” spot. Claiming that it’s “not the right platform” & that it is scaring their children

It should scare your children.

If they learn of injustice from a cable network instead of their parents then that’s on the parents.

Pretty remarkable move by @Nickelodeon – going off the air for 8 min and 46 seconds tonight – in memory of #GeorgeFloyd, with this message to kids 👇🏽 pic.twitter.com/L02vfahbOM

I’m late for this, but Nickelodeon took themselves off air for the amount of time it took for the police to murder #GeorgeFloyd.

We’ve had more acknowledgement from a cartoon network about this ENTIRE issue than the PotUS.

Says something. #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/1OuIZLcIhn

Here’s how you can help demand justice for George Floyd.

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