Recently on TikTok, many Black creators have been drawing attention to the trend of white creators taking trends or ideas from Black creators without giving proper credit. Erick Louis, who is a creator on TikTok with over 300 thousand followers, has recently brought more attention to the pressing issue. His idea is to steal content from white TikTok creators after finding that speaking with TikTok representatives and white creators was not helping.
https://www.tiktok.com/@theericklouis/video/6984157271550954758?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailydot.com%2F&referer_video_id=6984157271550954758&refer=embed&is_copy_url=0&is_from_webapp=v1&sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6968842253976700422
Louis encouraged other Black creators to join him as well in hopes to make his point clear. In June, there was a Black creator strike in which Black creators did not create dances to Megan Thee Stallion’s “Thot Shit” in order to prove how much work Black creators put into TikTok and how much their dances and content are stolen with no credit. Louis was also included in this trend as well.
https://www.tiktok.com/@theericklouis/video/6984187177248771334?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailydot.com%2F&referer_video_id=6984157271550954758&refer=embed&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
He then posted several videos of dances that were not by him but claimed that he was the original creator. Louis’ use of sarcasm is to point out the hypocrisy of white creators who either claim that their dances are original or simply do not tag the Black creators for dance credits. One person comments “As a form of support I will be commenting ‘it’s just a dance’ when white creators ask for credit.” This also highlights how not only do white creators often steal content, but they get away with it because people do not hold them accountable.
https://www.tiktok.com/@theericklouis/video/6986057423962295558?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailydot.com%2F&referer_video_id=6984157271550954758&refer=embed&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
#SeeYouAtDaTop
This trend has started the hashtag #seeyouatdatop, which now has 3.2 million views on TikTok. Joining Louise, other Black creators have posted themselves stealing dances from white creators and posting them as their own. With so many people joining and the number of views the TikToks have received under the hashtag, it is clear that Black creators have had enough of having their work stolen from them.
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@blonde_bimbo26 DC: me ???????? #seeyouatdatop #orginalcontent #newdance
Some were upset that they thought Louise was attacking white creators only and just for his pure entertainment. Louise explains that many were not upset when Jalailah Harnon, a young Black creator who was not given proper credit for the insanely popular Renegade dance, was speaking up about her stolen content. He goes on to say that white content creators are only upset and wishing to speak about ethics when it affects them only.
https://www.tiktok.com/@theericklouis/video/6984927277427608838?referer_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailydot.com%2F&referer_video_id=6984157271550954758&refer=embed&is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1
He also writes “I’ll be going back to post my regular stuff because it’s hard to find content since y’all ain’t original. But I’m def not done yet.” Many other creators commented how it was hard to find content to steal as they could usually source it back to an original Black creator. The trend highlights how much work is stolen from Black creators and also works to show white creators the importance to give credit whenever credit is due.
