Black TikTok refers to a community of predominantly Black creators and users on the video sharing app TikTok who showcase and celebrate Black culture, experiences, music, dance, comedy and more. The tag #blacktiktok on the platform has over 77 billion views, highlighting the immense popularity of Black creators and content (https://www.tiktok.com/@blacktiktok).
Black TikTok encompasses a wide range of content from dance challenges, skits, personal storytimes, and educational videos that provide insights into Black lives and culture. It provides a space for Black joy, creativity, and self-expression. Black creators and fans have embraced TikTok to showcase talented performances, share cultural highlights, and bond over shared experiences.
The community has had a significant cultural impact, launching viral dances like the Renegade, driving music trends, and allowing Black creators to accumulate large followings. Black TikTok has also helped propel broader conversations about activism, equality, and social justice.
History and origins
Black TikTok first emerged as a distinct subculture in 2019, as more Black creators began joining the platform and creating content. This coincided with the growth of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and calls for racial justice during this time period. Black creators started going viral for showcasing their singing, dancing, comedy, and storytelling talents through TikTok videos (Celebrating Black History Month on TikTok, 2022).
The “Renegade” dance, created by teenager Jalaiah Harmon in 2019, was one of the first big viral trends driven by the Black community on TikTok. It helped showcase the original dance choreography that Black creators were bringing to the app. Other early Black TikTok influencers like Tabitha Brown also rose to fame for their inspirational and comedic content. By 2020, a distinct “Black TikTok” subculture had emerged, with certain sounds, dances, styles of comedy, and cultural references.
Key themes and trends
Black TikTok features a diverse range of popular content and themes, with dance, comedy, and activism being some of the most prominent genres. Dance challenges and routines are a signature of Black TikTok, with dances like the Renegade and Savage Challenge originating from Black creators and going viral globally. Dance allows creative expression and community on the platform. Comedy and humor also thrive on Black TikTok, with comedians and content creators making funny, entertaining videos that get widely shared. Sketch comedy and satire about everyday life experiences and current events resonate strongly.
Additionally, Black TikTok has been an important space for activism and social justice, especially around major events like the Black Lives Matter protests in 2020. Hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter and #SayTheirNames have spread awareness, while viral songs like ‘Black Parade’ by Beyoncé connected with larger cultural movements. Trends like #BlackBoyJoy and #BlackGirlMagic celebrate positive expressions of Black culture and experiences.
Influential creators
Black creators have had an enormous impact on TikTok, helping shape trends, challenges, and culture on the platform. Some of the most influential black creators include:
@dreaknowsbest (6M followers) – Dre is known for his comedy skits and impressions, tackling topics like relationships and pop culture with humor.
@khaby.lame (153.4M followers) – Khaby Lame is TikTok’s most-followed creator, using expressions and gestures in short videos to poke fun at overly complicated life hacks.
@yvngflx (17.4M followers) – Yvngflx (also known as Flex) produces dance videos, often collaborating with other top dancers like @gleefuljhits. His smooth moves helped popularize dance trends like the ‘woah’ and ‘git up.’
@rod (16.5M followers) – Comedian Rod creates funny videos, songs, and sketches, sometimes featuring his popular alter ego ‘Roderick.’ He gained fame through his ‘on the mic’ freestyle series.
@bellapoarch (92.9M followers) – Bella Poarch developed a massive following sharing vlogs, lipsyncs, and expressions, boosting the popularity of the ‘M to the B’ TikTok dance.
These black creators have entertained millions of viewers, while also bringing greater representation of the black community to TikTok’s platform.
Virality and impact
Black creators and trends have had an enormous impact on TikTok’s viral culture. Dances, songs, slang, and other elements originating from black TikTok frequently spread across the platform and into mainstream pop culture. For example, dances like the Renegade and Milly Rock became massively popular thanks to black creators like Jalaiah Harmon and Kcamp (Source). Other viral sounds and songs like Meg Thee Stallion’s “Savage” blew up after they were used in dances and memes on black TikTok.
Black TikTok has greatly influenced mainstream music, fashion, and language. Viral sensations like the “Junebug challenge” have inspired celebrities and brands to participate in trends stemming from the black community on TikTok. Black slang and phrases also frequently emerge from TikTok before being adopted more widely. Platforms like TikTok allow black creators to set cultural trends and impact pop culture in powerful ways.
However, black creators have called out issues like dance trends going viral without proper credit or compensation for the original creator. Some have advocated for better attribution and opportunities within TikTok’s Creator Fund program (Source). Overall, black TikTok’s massive reach reveals the platform’s potential for uplifting diverse voices, but also raises concerns around algorithmic bias, creator support, and fair compensation.
Controversies
Black creators on TikTok have faced several controversies related to appropriation, discrimination, and censorship on the platform. In July 2021, many popular Black creators went on strike to protest non-Black creators appropriating their content without credit or compensation. This was in response to situations like the Nicki Minaj song “Black Barbies,” which used TikTok audio created by a Black creator without credit [1]. Many Black creators also reported having their content muted, restricted, or hidden from followers in 2020, limiting their reach and impact. This led to accusations of algorithmic bias and discrimination against Black creators [2]. Overall, Black TikTok creators have had to contend with issues around getting proper credit and compensation for pioneering viral trends and content, while also facing restrictions or censorship when posting content related to Black culture and experiences.
Relation to race and activism
Black TikTok has become an important platform for racial empowerment and social justice. Many Black creators use the app to speak out against racism and share stories of discrimination or police brutality. Videos with hashtags like #BlackLivesMatter often go viral, spreading awareness of key issues.
In 2020, Black TikTok users led a strike to protest a lack of credit and opportunities given to Black creators, as well as content suppression. As reported by Time (https://time.com/5863350/tiktok-black-creators/), many felt TikTok’s algorithms and moderation policies unfairly limited their content. The strike aimed to pressure TikTok to address these concerns.
Black creators have harnessed TikTok to organize for racial justice causes. For instance, they’ve used the platform to spread information about protests and raise funds for organizations like the NAACP and Black Lives Matter. By enabling collective action, Black TikTok strengthens activism work.
Algorithms and Recommendations
TikTok’s algorithms have faced scrutiny for how they impact black creators on the platform. Specifically, some researchers argue the algorithms discriminate against black creators by making their videos less discoverable or intentionally excluding them from recommendations.
One analysis by researcher Marc Faddoul found racial bias in TikTok’s recommendation algorithm, with accounts associated with Black people pushed to “more vulnerable” parts of the network (Faddoul, 20221). This means Black creators see their videos shared less on the “For You Page,” TikTok’s main feed of recommended videos.
Other studies have confirmed instances of algorithmic exclusion of Black creators’ content. The algorithms appear to funnel Black users into “filter bubbles,” reducing cross-racial exposure (Amarikwa, 20232).
Some Black creators report feeling “shadowbanned,” where they suspect their content is being suppressed. They see lower view counts, difficulty reaching new audiences, and abrupt losses of followers.
TikTok denies racial bias in its algorithms. However, the platform’s opacity and lack of transparency around its algorithms make analysis difficult. The algorithm’s fundamentals remain unknown outside of the company.
More transparency and external audits are needed to evaluate claims of racial bias. In the meantime, many Black creators feel discriminated against based on the algorithm’s real world impacts on their content reach and monetization.
Broader social media landscape
There are strong connections between black TikTok and other social media platforms, especially black Twitter and black Instagram. These platforms have helped amplify black voices, culture, experiences, and activism.
Many popular black TikTok creators also have a significant presence on Twitter and Instagram, allowing them to reach wider audiences. For example, influencers like Tabitha Brown and Brittany Broski (Source 1) have cultivated large followings across multiple platforms. There is crossover between the content and memes that go viral across these different sites.
At the same time, some black creators have turned to alternative platforms like Clapper and Fanbase when frustrated with perceived inequality in visibility or monetization on TikTok (Source 2). However, TikTok remains the leading platform for many top black influencers.
The interconnected social media landscape allows black creators to access and engage with wider audiences. But it also means issues around representation, algorithms, and compensation present on one platform often emerge on others as well. Still, black influencers continue leveraging their online communities to drive social change.
Future outlook
The future of black TikTok looks bright, as it continues to have an outsized cultural influence and serves as a platform to uplift black voices. According to TikTok, the #blacklivesmatter hashtag had over 18 billion views as of February 2021, showing the power of black TikTok to drive awareness of social issues.
Many predict black creators on TikTok will continue leading trends and defining viral dances, sounds, and memes. TikTok itself has launched a Black History Month campaign celebrating black creators, indicating its commitment to promoting diversity.
As TikTok expands, black TikTok will likely remain highly influential and keep shaping culture and entertainment. It provides a space for black joy, comedy, politics, and identity. Trend forecasters expect black TikTok to keep impacting music, fashion, slang, and more. The community is poised to grow even stronger, while uplifting black voices.
