TikTok launches campaign to spotlight Black creators

By

Gabriella Lacombe

Published
Oct 12, 2020

Video social media platform TikTok has announced a new initiative to spotlight its Black creators. 

Named 'Black History, Black Present and Black Future,' the campaign will launch this month and "[bring] key conversations in the Black community to the forefront of TikTok," through livestreams, as well as through the hashtag #myroots -- an in-app and advertising campaign that celebrates the unique stories and histories of the Black community on TikTok. Some popular Black fashion TikTokers set to be featured include David Fadd, Violet Ezedimora, Estare, Mack Peters, and Wisdom Kaye. 

The campaign will continue throughout October, and will include seven live discussions covering topics like Black hair, beauty and fashion; mental health; Black history in the school curriculum, as well as spotlighting comedy, entrepreneurship and gaming across the Black community, the company said. 

Featured guests will include TV presenter, June Sarpong; make-up artist, Anne Olayinka; social commentator, Patrick Philip Vernon OBE; comedians, Chanté Joseph and Munya Chawawa; and entrepreneur and Capital Xtra DJ, Remel London. 

The live videos can be watched on the @tiktok_uk page.

The initiative's launch comes after TikTok was accused this past summer of shadow banning creators posting Black Lives Matter content. At the start of June, TikTok released an apology to its Black creators, addressing those who "have felt unsafe, unsupported, or suppressed."

The company also announced a donation of $4 million to organizations committed to supporting the Black community. 

More recently, TikTok has made headlines for facing a ban in the U.S. after the government accused the Chinese-owned app of being a national security risk.