Why were the Black TikTok creators on strike? One reason, they are tired. Tired of not being recognized for the original dance content that graces your for you page on your phone. TikTok is a platform used by millions of users across the world showcasing analyzing and everything from their small business to just making people laugh. The most popular by users are posting dancing videos to the latest hit songs. If you gain enough followers you are able to get paid for the content you are creating for your audience base. Depending on the number of likes you have videos that can rise or fall.
Now if you were a Black Creator creating new dance content but never receiving credit, wouldn’t you be angry? Angry because your views and likes to fall to other creators who never credited you, but instead took your success and any revenue made from those videos when that revenue should be coming to you.
The popular TikTok dances are danced to the latest hits. It all started when 14-year old Black American creator, Jalaiah Harmon, the one who choreographed the original dance to songs like “Renegade” didn’t gain popularity but when creator Charli D’Amelio performed that dance likes and views skyrocketed overnight.
Viewers were crediting Charli for the moves and getting credit for a dance she did not create. Turning Charli into this famous TikTok creator and dancer getting all the fame just by being a pretty face. Following Charli were creators like Addison Rae who premiered on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon showing over the various TikTok dances that she did not create but made them popular because yet again she is another pretty face. After, Addison showed off her TikTok dances the strike ignited even more.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMR5JmnSL/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMR5J5N1R/
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMR5J4Ug7/
ADVERTISEMENT
Strike Getting Attention
In light of Addison performing on The Tonight Show with Jimy Fallon, Black creators put their hands up in strike refusing to create any more original choreographed until they get rightful recognition. Leaving other creators to create new dances to the latest hits themselves, showing how important Black Creators are to TikTok’s algorithm. Finally, after the whole ordeal TikTok recognized its lack of diversity and made a statement, “Over the past year, our teams have continued working to elevate and support Black voices and causes, while fostering an inclusive environment on our platform and within our workplace,” reported from BBC News. More and more creators started to get credit for their work, but only months after they were originally posted and gained popularity. After severe backlash from the Black TikTok community Jimmy Fallon, in recognizing his wrongful behavior, allowed for Black TikTok creators on the show to give credit to them for creating the choreography.
Black Creators inside and outside of TikTok are pushing and fighting to get their work and/or art rightfully recognized in a world and society where it is constantly stolen and turned into something completely different.
