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Rejection is simply redirection, and this was the case for TikTok creator MiriTheSiren. The Chick-fil-A employee is known for her countless reviews of the restaurant’s food, which have helped her garner thousands of loyal followers since January 2024. Her most recent video filming the fast food chain’s Cherry Berry drink gained 323,400 likes and 3.4 million views since sharing it on April 8, 2024. In total, she has gained 3.7 million likes for her various Chick-fil-A food combinations using her employee meal. “Since January, every day, I went to work at Chick-fil-A. I have been reviewing my employee meal since I started in January. I have garnered tens of millions of views, some of my individual videos, getting up to 3.4 million in just a few days,” MiriTheSiren expressed in a video. “And it’s been a beautiful experience. It’s been so great. I’ve inspired people to try new things at Chick-fil-A. I’ve been able to connect more with my community and the people that I serve because...
Apr 23, 2024
Disruptors, in the evolutionary sense of the word, are people who have abandoned the status quo. They thrive in their differences and are typically unbothered by the societal boundaries designed to box them in. There are countless examples of these people in the world, but one clear example is Tyler, the Creator. Evidenced by his stage name, Tyler Gregory Okonma is a California native and award-winning producer and musical artist. He burst onto the scene co-founding the Hip-Hop collective Odd Future and releasing his debut mixtape 2009, titled “Bastard.” However, it was in 2011 when he released his first studio album, “Goblin,” that he started getting noticed. Reflecting, he acknowledged his musical growth and was honest about his work then. In a conversation on the “Rap Radar Podcast,” Tyler was pretty candid that while his lead single, “Yonkers,” is still one of his favorites, the album itself was not his favorite body of work. “Bro, ‘Goblin’ is f-cking terrible, but I still love...
Apr 22, 2024
Cash Money Records Founder Birdman experienced several losses by the age of 16, and he was determined to steer clear of any losses in the music business. Birdman, born Bryan Christopher Williams, started the label in 1991 alongside his brother Ronald “Slim” Williams, according to BET. They were able to gain traction and had the support of independent distributors such as Gonzales Music and SouthWest Distribution, XXL Magazine reports. Building popularity in the South, the label caught the attention of Universal Records and signed a deal with the company on May 10, 1997, per a Max Volume Media interview Birdman gave. He later discussed the deal during an interview on the “Wilde Ride!” podcast, revealing that he was looking to retain ownership of his music due to his upbringing. “I felt like I lost everything already. I lost my family,” he explained on the podcast. “Nothing can repay me for what I already lost. I lost my mama, my daddy, my brother, my sister… I lived a hell of a life...
Apr 19, 2024
In April 2023, Tyler Perry shared his interest in bidding to purchase a majority stake in BET Media Group from Paramount. As BET is the home of his shows such as “Sistas” and “House of Payne,” there was potential alignment. In addition, the media mogul hoped for the network to become Black-owned once again. However, the aspiration came to an end shortly after. By August 2023, Paramount announced that it had ended its initial plan to sell its majority stake in BET Media Group stating that “a sale wouldn’t result in any meaningful deleveraging of its balance sheet,” as previously shared by AFROTECH™. With the change in plans, Perry, along with other reported bidders including Byron Allen, did not gain ownership of BET. As AFROTECH™ previously told you, Perry was reportedly among the offers that ranged from $2 billion to $3 billion, but the bidding process didn’t pan out as he had hoped. “I was disappointed about it for a number of reasons,” Perry shared at Bloomberg’s Equality Summit,...
Apr 16, 2024
Not saying yes to the first offer could likely benefit you in the long run. For the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast hosts, this led to a more favorable business outcome. As previously mentioned by AFROTECH™, Gillie Da King and Wallace Peeples, otherwise known as Wallo267, signed a podcast deal with media company Barstool Sports in 2020. The deal is reportedly worth $3 million for 50% ownership in the show. Two years later, the duo signed a new contract with the company. Wallo267 expressed on an Instagram post, “From the bottom of my heart I want to thank all of y’all for being apart of my journey. 🙏🏾💪🏾cuz @gilliedaking WE DIT IT!” At the time of this writing, the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast appears to be doing well, garnering 1.53 million subscribers on YouTube. Their guests include some of the biggest names in the business — Alicia Keys, Cardi B, Shaquille O’Neal, and Michael B. Jordan. Unsurprisingly, Barstool Sports was one of many companies interested in securing...
Apr 9, 2024
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) hopes to inspire people to look into the skies and to their communities. Recently, Black individuals in NASA’s workforce took social media by storm after sharing their headshots from the independent agency. The heartwarming posts reminded everyone of the importance of representation and fostering inclusivity, particularly in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Joining #BlackAtNASA . After 15 years this is my headshot. pic.twitter.com/qDTMbGprZ2 — K Renee Horton,PhD (@Reneehortonphd) March 17, 2024 Despite the fleeting nature of viral moments, NASA’s efforts for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are far more than just a snapshot. In 2023, the agency released an equity action plan supporting a presidential executive order focused on dismantling “inequitable barriers and challenges facing underserved communities.” “We at NASA, as an administrator, never tell our story,” Shahra Lambert, NASA’s...
Apr 5, 2024
Pay equity is a constant fight for Black creators, and this was a daunting reality for TikTok creator Keandre Dre Hopkins. In February 2024, Hopkins, otherwise known as Dre in Dallas, took to the platform — which now shows he has 1.1 million followers as of this writing — to highlight Crumbl Cookie’s latest lineup, which included a purple sandwich cookie in partnership with pop star Olivia Rodrigo. His comedic input when critiquing the cookie turned into a viral sound bite: “Olivia Rodriguez, that lil Mexican girl that be crying. Zero out of 10.” The TikTok video has garnered 19.7 million views and 2.4 million likes so far. Furthermore, the sound was later used by Rodrigo in good humor on March 6, 2024, via TikTok and racked in 50.1 million views and 6.8 million likes as of April 5, 2024. @dreindallas @Crumbl Cookies ♬ original sound – Dre To no surprise, it appears Crumbl Cookie took wind of the viral video and reached out to Hopkins. In a TikTok video, he claims they were looking...
Apr 5, 2024
Over the past several years, Druski has been an internet sensation. The influencer and actor’s popularity has grown from his comedic skits including his Coulda Been Records “auditions.” Earlier this year, he even transformed his social media presence into a full-blown headlining comedy tour, “Coulda Woulda Shoulda,” in the U.S. The debut tour kicked off in March 2023 in Richmond, VA, and stopped at a total of 30 venues. View this post on Instagram A post shared by DRUSKI (@druski)
Sep 26, 2023
Snoop Dogg is not happy with how streaming giants compensate Black creators.
Aug 9, 2023
The saying Black people have to work twice as hard as their white peers is no different when it comes to the influencer space.
Dec 28, 2022
Keke Palmer is working to make sure rising creators can enter the industry on softer soil. View this post on Instagram A post shared by AFROTECH (@afro.tech)
Dec 2, 2022
Earlier this year, Snap announced the Black Creator Accelerator — a program to help remove systemic barriers for Black creators. Now, the social media giant is in celebratory mode for its inaugural class.
Sep 20, 2022
Black creators have been at the forefront of trends, and that will likely not end anytime soon. The interesting fact about their impact is that they have not always been paid or recognized for their contributions to the industry. From comedic skits to product recommendations, Black people have been at the center of culture — providing the entertainment and “up-to-date” information the world craves. Recently, Forbes recognized the work of some of these Black creatives. Not only have they been in their creative bag, but they have also overcome some systemic challenges and earned quite a bit of income in the process. Check out the list of Black creators that made the Forbes list.
Sep 7, 2022
Over the years, TikTok has received a lot of flack from Black creators for not receiving the same opportunities as their white counterparts. In light of the situation, the social media giant’s competitors swooped in to offer them more — one of them being Triller. But according to The Washington Post, there are allegations that the app has not followed through on its promises. Triller made its name recruiting talent with lavish perks and content houses in the Hollywood Hills. Now, dozens of influencers are struggling to get paid. ‘We were made to look like fools,’ one creator said. https://t.co/we5A6zuCOp — Taylor Lorenz (@TaylorLorenz) August 3, 2022
Aug 4, 2022
Snap is looking to support Black talent on their journey toward securing the bag. During VidCon 2022, the social platform announced a new accelerator program for emerging Black creators, TechCrunch reports. Under Snap’s 523 initiative, 25 program selectees will be paid $10,000 monthly for a year — totaling $120,000. The $3 million funding is intended to help Black creators thrive on social media through their platform. In addition, Google Pixel, UNCMMN, and Westbrook Media have hopped on board to partner with the new program. “Black creators face unique systemic barriers across the creator industry — from disparities in compensation and attribution, to toxic experiences and more,” the company wrote in a press release, according to the outlet. “We believe one of the ways we can help remove some of those barriers is to provide mentorship and financial resources to emerging Black creators in the early stages of their professional career.” 523 launched in December 2021 as a move to...
Jun 24, 2022