Black creators on TikTok are trendsetters. If you aren’t familiar with the endless saga of Reesa Teesa’s marriage woes or the “twin where you have been?” viral videos or know just how important being elite is with an espresso martini in hand, please get familiar quickly. TikTok has been taking note of just how impactful and valuable Black creators are for their platform, so they decided to acknowledge their many contributions with a brunch. On Sunday, February 25, TikTok hosted their 2024 Visionary Voices Black Hollywood Brunch at the swanky Hotel Bel-Air in honor of visionary Black creatives and culture changemakers in media and entertainment. Hosted by TikTok’s Shavone Charles, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion Communications, and Alexzi Girma, #BlackTikTok Community Manager, the brunch celebrated industry disruptors, creators, tastemakers, and allies who are making an impact and amplifying Black voices across the entertainment industry. The TikTok platform is known for making waves across industries by advocating for Black voices – as their visionary #BlackTikTok community continues to elevate Black creativity and drive industry-shifting influence on and off of TikTok. This Black History Month and year-round, they’ve decided to celebrate the brilliance of #BlackTikTok by amplifying the culture-defining impact of their Black creator community.
We were joined by Black creators and voices in entertainment, including Olly Sholotan, Jackie Aina, LaLa Milan, Karen Civil, Andrea Okeke, DeAndre Brown, and this year’s #BlackTikTok Visionary Voices honorees, including Jordan Howlett, LU KALA, Daven Gates, including our own ESSENCE Ventures, Chief Revenue Officer, Pauline Malcolm-Thornton.
Aside from the beautiful scenery and ambiance, attendees fellowshiped amongst themselves, enjoyed delicious food, hors d’oeuvres, craft cocktails, experiential installations, TikTok’s #ShopBlack experience with Topicals, Pat McGrath Labs, Ami Colé, FORVR Mood and wellness pop-up with Nike. The event also had content capture moments, along with style portraits from Getty and BFA and music by DJ Hed, as well as an engaging discussion on the impact of the #BlackTikTok community moderated by TikTok’s Alexzi Girma and featuring honorees from our 2024 #BlackTikTok Visionary Voices List (including Jordan Howlett, LU KALA and Daven Gates). The panel highlighted the importance of the TikTok platform for the creators as they leveraged it to expand their personal and professional brands into lucrative businesses. After the panel, we met with Girma to hear her thoughts on the Visionary Voices honorees and what’s next for Black creators using the platform. “We want to ensure that Black creators feel heard, seen, and valued. The contributions that they give to TikTok are invaluable. Black creators are the ones who started all the trends and dictate what’s hot, so we really wanted to make the space to amplify them so that everyone can see all of the work they do daily. That’s where Visionary Voices came from, amplifying those Black voices in media and entertainment,” she said to ESSENCE.
TikTok also knows the power of content ownership and potential economic freedom, especially for Black creators. “TikTok has been amazing for these Black creators because they’ve been able to use the fan base and the community that they find on our platform to launch their own businesses; for example, Jordan Thee Stallion was just saying on the panel that he has a business all about fast food secrets from his previous experience in the food industry; also Daven Gates launched two cookbooks from his foodie TikToks,” Girma stated.
Karen Civil, noted businesswoman, social media influencer, and TikTok user, chimed in, “Watching TikTok prioritize Black creators, amplifying them in ways to make sure that they also have the opportunity to generate financial income for themselves, it feels good. I’m referencing FUBU, because it feels like it’s for us by us.”
What TikTok understands so well is the value of their Black creator’s content and originality, which ultimately leads to virality and trends sweeping the internet – playing into a large cultural renaissance. Shavone Charles, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion Communications at TikTok and a cultural connoisseur, spoke to the importance of continuing to insert the Black voice into the digital ecosystem for cultural impact. “I fundamentally feel like we’ve been in a renaissance of Black creativity and creators, pushing the envelope. It’s clear time and time again that we are the ecosystem, and pulse of what’s next, of what’s cool, of what is with what will be,” she shared.
As for Black creators, they find the TikTok platform helpful to bolster their brands and change their lives positively, but they also believe events like the Visionary Voices brunch are helpful to build community and bonding with like-minded people. “I feel so happy to be here. The amount of talent in this one room is wonderful. It’s almost overwhelming, and it’s so great. Everyone has a beaming, shining personality, so I feel truly honored,” said Jordan Howlett, a 2024 TikTok Industry Disruptor.
He continued, “Everyone here is a walking, talking example of possibilities. It’s so important that we have these events so people can see what is possible.”