Imagine if you were an HBO executive who thought you had the next big hit. You managed to get both of the show runners for one of the most popular shows in history for another lap. You even had an idea that had never been done before. Then you sent out a press release and expect people to be just as excited as you are just to find out exactly why there’s never been a show like this. IT’S NOT A GOOD IDEA.

After announcing the development of a show called “Confederate” where slavery was still legalized, HBO executives and “Game of Thrones” show runners have been working to calm the public with suggestions of “wait and see.” That option isn’t the most ideal for a lot of people.

To push back and show that they’re not comfortable waiting to see if what sounds like a horrible idea is really a bad idea, a group of activists and general TV watchers took to Twitter to share the #NoConfederate hashtag in protest of the show while Game of Thrones aired.

April Reign, who started the hashtag earlier last week, celebrated its impact after the hashtag became one of the top trending topics both nationally and internationally.

https://twitter.com/ebonigipson_/status/891883494888140801

Roxanne Gay was also a major voice in support of the protest as she published an editorial in the New York Times pointing out how there’s no point to offer up yet another story about white supremacy, no matter how differently it’s wrapped.

“It is curious that time and again, when people create alternate histories, they are largely replicating a history we already know, and intimately,” Gay wrote. “They are replicating histories where whiteness thrives and people of color remain oppressed.”

Still, despite all of these pleas, HBO executives believe that hiring a Black couple to work on the show and promising it’ll be worth it is enough to garner them the public’s trust.

“Confederate” is still in its infancy, so there are a lot of things that could happen in the realm of changes or even being pulled. For now, people should continue to focus on having their voices heard.