'They take our dances.' Black users demand TikTok combat cultural appropriation
White creators are some of the highest earning influencers, with net worths in the millions. But many face backlash for appropriating Black cultures.
'They take our dances.' Black users demand TikTok combat cultural appropriation
TikTok has a complicated and controversial relationship with Black content creators. The app has been criticized for having a racist algorithm, for shadowbanning Black creators, and not appreciating the Black origins of many of its popular trends.
But allegations of discrimination and unfair treatment aren't new for the Chinese-owned and operated social platform - culminating in boycotts by popular, Black users that continue to this day.
Across the app, artists and activists have demanded TikTok improve the experience from Black artists and creators, as well as entrepreneurs and entertainers looking to monetize their massive followings.
Black creators say TikTok's algorithm and white creators foster a 'consistent undertone of anti-Blackness'
March 10, 2020
Charli D'Amelio appears on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and performs 8 dances by TikTok creators.June 1, 2020
TikTok releases a statement addressed to the Black community in response to protests over anti-Black censorship allegations on TikTok.June 24, 2020
TikTok releases a progress report detailing the changes they've implemented to support Black creators.March 26, 2021
Addison Rae appears as a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where she performed dances by Black creators without giving them proper attribution – sparking conversation over cultural appropriation on the app.April 5, 2021
Jimmy Fallon features the mostly Black TikTok creators on the show, following social media backlash around Rae's appearance on the show.June 11, 2021
Black creators choose not to create a dance to "Thot S---," a song and video by rapper Megan Thee Stallion.July 6, 2021
Ziggi Tyler posts a video exposing a flaw in the TikTok Creator Marketplace algorithm.July 8, 2021
TikTok issued a public apology for the "significant error" that made users question how much they actually value Black creators.Non-Black TikTok creators have been notorious for co-opting the content of their Black counterparts — known as cultural appropriation.
As defined by Maisha Z. Johnson, the phenomenon refers to a "power dynamic in which members of a dominant culture take elements from a culture of people who have been systematically oppressed by that dominant group."
Black creators say TikTok makes cultural appropriation profitable
George Lee, who amassed a following of more than 1.5 million on TikTok, made a series of videos describing the differences between cultural appropriation and appreciation.Kang bitching Twitter link
"The difference ... is the question of whom progresses and profits the most," George Lee, known as @TheConsciousLee on TikTok, told Insider. "When the cultural product is detached from the cultural producers, we get cultural appropriation."
TikTok's most followed user, 17-year-old Charli D'Amelio, offered a notorious example of the financial impact cultural appropriation can have after performing the "renegade dance" on the app.
The video went viral soon after, with the influencer even more notoriety despite the creator of the dance craze being then 14-year-old, Jalaiah Harmon - who is Black.
D'Amelio now has a net worth of $8 million (an $4 million estimated from TikTok alone) whereas Harmon sits at roughly $70,000.
Forbes estimates that TikTok's highest-earners — none of whom are Black — have net worths between $1.2 and 5 million.
Addison Rae performed a series of dances popular on TikTok while appearing on "The Tonight Show." The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon/YouTube
Addison Rae - who herself faced controversy for performing dances made popular by Black creators during an appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon - sits at the top of the Forbes list with an estimated net worth of $5 million.
Behind her in second and third, respectively, are D'Amelio and sister Dixie D'Amelio - who has an estimated net worth of $2.9 million.
The list excludes celebrities whose fame is not attributed to TikTok, including notable Black public figures Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Jason Derulo.
"You have an app that is entirely dependent on what Black people bring," Ziggy Tyler, 23-year-old TikTok creator told Insider. "These big creators have careers because they take our dances and make money."
In contrast, an Insider investigation found that Black creators are sometimes only making "a few dollars a day after posting videos that generated tens of thousands of views."
Users say TikTok doesn't go far enough to combat racial inequity
Black influencers are boycotting TikTok or taking their talents to other platforms in response to the platform. Alessandro Biascioli/ Getty ImagesA
TikTok spokesperson told NBC News that "diverse and inspiring voices" are what make the platform unique while claiming to care "deeply about the experience of Black creators."
But the app also denied allegations of moderating content based on race.
In response to the criticism the platform limits Black users, TikTok in July last year launched a Creator Diversity Collective that serves as a liaison/board to communicate experiences of creators with app employees.
The platform announced in a press release that it taken steps toward transparency with company recommendations on its "For You Page." TikTok had also created a profile that focuses on the Juneteenth holiday, and donated approximately $4 million to nonprofits that support racial equality.
However, many TikTokers argue that the app does not go far enough to prioritize the safety and monetary gain of Black content creators.
The Creator Fund doesn't "pay the bills" on its own, Black users told Insider. This means that influencers — regardless of ethnicity — have to rely on more than one lane of employment.
"I could not have this be my only source of income," Jillian Butler, a TikTok-ing college student, told Insider.
TikTokers can make money on the app through three different ways: the Creator Fund, brand sponsorships, and song promotions. Some Tiktokers, like Ziggi Tyler, started to migrate to other platforms including the up-and-coming Fanbase app, where they feel Black creators are elevated.
When white TikTokers can still gain notoriety from cultural appropriation highlighted on TikTok, Black creators say the impact speaks to the issue of exploitation.
"Most of Black America knows the story of appropriation all too well and social media is no different," creator George Lee said. "It's a saying in the hood that goes 'imagine if the world loved Black people as much as it loves Black culture."
"Black cultural products are highly valued, but we are not valued as cultural producers."
