Black creators have used TikTok to launch successful careers as artists and influencers. But even after growing a following in the millions, they may still feel pressure to change how they act.
Challan, a model and TikTok influencer with over 5 million followers, is known for fashion and beauty content accompanied by her iconic blonde ’fro, high energy, and often amusing routines.
When asked by HuffPost what considerations she has to take into account as a Black woman who makes content, she said she often has to watch how loudly she speaks and how she chooses her words.
“I have to be very cautious of how I say things because I think it’s very easy for your tone to be taken negatively before it’s taken positively,” Challan told HuffPost at a TikTok event honoring Black voices in Los Angeles.
Still, she said she wants to be known as a safe space for her TikTok followers.
“That’s a really nice feeling as a creator — that people find solace and comfort in your content. So I just really want that to further grow and for people just continue to feel safe with me and my content,” she added.
The inclination some Black creators feel to alter how they come off to others adds to the already tumultuous relationship between producers of Black culture and the spaces they are in — including social media — where cultural appropriation exists.
In 2021, Black TikTok creators went on strike in protest of white creators who’d gained a lot of attention online by performing dances created by Black creators. And when they do express themselves authentically online, some Black Tiktok users say, they are especially vulnerable to criticism and attacks from trolls or becoming the butt of jokes. On top of appropriating dances, Black creators have accused their white counterparts of using audio of Black voices to turn them into a “caricature.”