White people have been co-opting Black culture for a long time. And today, with social media platforms like TikTok, where Black artists consistently create trending content, the thievery continues.
Forbes recently released its “Top Earning TikTok-ers 2022” list – but these numbers just don’t seem to add up.
Together these TikTokers, especially the top-earning D’Amelio sisters, made about 55.5 million through brand collaborations, record deals, and multi-film deals.
But as with many creative industries, Black people often receive little credit for their contributions – and don't make as much money as we should.
Khaby Lame, a Senegalese-born TikToker, has 130 million followers, about as many as the list's most-followed influencer. But he didn’t appear on the list. In fact, there were NO Black creators on it.
Some Black TikTokers are speaking up about the inequalities they experience – including being low-balled by brands, having their content stolen and made popular by whites, and other concerns.
Sharing information and resources amongst our communities has always been necessary to navigate systemic racism in every industry. But there’s a bigger question: should lists like this even matter much to us?
We know how amazing we are, even if brands and white society refuses to see it. As always, we have to create our own definitions of success. If white culture sleeps on us, it’s their loss!