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Spill is allowing its users to have a stake in its success. As AFROTECH™ previously reported , the social media app was created by Alphonzo “Phonz” Terrell and DeVaris Brown who had both worked for Twitter. In 2022, Terrell was laid off around the time Elon Musk had acquired the platform now known as X, while Brown had exited the company in 2020. Terrell says the focus in Spill’s creation was to support his colleagues and to answer a personal call, which was branching out to build a new platform. “Starting as a non-technical founder, that was a pretty daunting challenge. And I think it was that mindset of just determination that no matter what, I’m going to figure out a way to make something,” Terrell shared on the “Black Tech Green Money” podcast hosted by AFROTECH™ Brand Manager Will Lucas. “If I don’t raise a dollar, if I got to do whatever, everything starts, I think, from that particular mindset, and that is what’s magnetized.” He continued, “I think the type of energy that...
Many users are abandoning Elon Musk’s X in favor of the emerging social media platform Bluesky. The Guardian reported that over 1 million people have joined Bluesky since the U.S. presidential election — a surge in sign-ups as users seek alternatives to X, formerly Twitter, amid growing concerns about misinformation and extremism. Currently, Bluesky reportedly has about 15 million users. “It feels like a very welcoming, safe space,” Pariss Chandler, organizer of Black Tech Twitter and founder of the recruitment platform Black Tech Pipeline, told NBC News. “I wonder if that’s because they have lots of regulations and safety protections on that platform. They provide something Twitter no longer does.” In 2019, Jack Dorsey, Twitter’s then-CEO, announced plans to fund the development of an “open and decentralized” social media standard, according to The Guardian. Thus began the Bluesky project. Bluesky became an independent company in 2021. The platform offers a familiar social media...
Kerry Washington has invested in Spill, the Black-owned social media platform designed to provide a safer and more inclusive environment for diverse communities to engage with and discuss culture in real time. “In a digital world where marginalized groups, especially Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA folks, rarely feel prioritized, Spill stands out,” Washington said, according to TechCrunch. “I’m proud to be part of this community as both a user and an investor.” Founded in 2022 by Alphonzo Terrell and DeVaris Brown after the two had worked at Twitter, Spill raised a $2.75 million seed extension in 2023 and has over 200,000 active users. In addition to serving as an investor, Washington actively participates in the Spill community by hosting “Tea Parties,” which are live video conversations, and engaging with users on topics like voter registration. “She’s incredibly accessible and knowledgeable, especially around these topics and is not scared in any way, shape, or form about really...
T he Biden administration has taken a ction against TikTok. On April 24, 2024, President Joe Biden signed a law to ban the China-based social media app under parent company ByteDance in the U.S. if it’s not sold within a year, NPR reports. The move comes after the House of Representatives introduced in March the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act , which aims to “protect the national security of the United States from the threat posed by foreign adversary controlled applications,” as previously shared by AFROTECH™. Under President Biden’s new law, if TikTok fails to be sold in 12 months, it would become illegal for web-hosting providers to host the platform. What’s more, Google and Apple would have to pull the popular app from its app stores. According to NPR, this is the first time that a law has been passed that could result in banning a social media platform in the U.S. What has led to this timeline of events is U.S. government officials have...
There are certain songs that, when you hear them, it automatically gets you hyped. From school pep rallies to cheer competitions and every other big gathering in between — “Bring Em Out” by T.I. is one of those songs. While the 2004 hit song has longevity and cross-over appeal, the song’s success is only a snapshot of the trap rapper’s career. Born Clifford Joseph Harris Jr., T.I. released his debut album “I’m Serious” in 2001. Although the work didn’t receive major commercial appeal, it didn’t stop his musical pursuits. T.I. partnered with business partner Jason Geter to launch Grand Hustle Records in 2003. From its initial launch, the rapper began putting out a series of mixtapes, leading him to release his second album, “Trap Muzik,” boasting singles such as “Rubberband Man” and “Let’s Get Away.” Harris’ success story would continue to blossom from this point, as he produced several more successful albums, appeared in movies, and tapped into his business acumen. Diversifying his...
When it’s your time, it’s your time. As previously reported by AfroTech, Pusha T’s feud with fast-food company McDonald’s first began to brew after he wrote its “I’m Lovin’ It” jingle in 2003 with his brother, No Malice, in which they weren’t adequately compensated. According to Rolling Stone, the rapper said he received a one-time fee but no royalties. Then, he went off on the chain when Arby’s aired its commercial “Spicy Fish Diss,” on March 21. While it was for marketing purposes, shots were fired and now it’s being speculated that it could have brought success for the restaurant. On March 22, Complex reported, the track “netted the roast beef giant more than $8 million equivalent in advertising exposure.” The estimate was brought to the public’s attention by business analyst Darren Rovell, who noted that per Apex Marketing, “Spicy Fish Diss” brought in “equivalent advertising exposure” of an estimated $8,203,272. Value to Arby’s through 7pm ET: $8,203,272 in equivalent...
During a time when building real-life connections can be a challenge, online communities have been a saving grace for many. The presence of groups on social media has heightened, which has transformed into an influx of people that strive to be sources of support and resources. Community leaders especially are using the impact of social media to reach the masses and create the change they want to see. Here are nine Black leaders making real impact that should be on your radar.
Instagram is creating more ways for creatives to get to the bag! The social media network has announced that it will kick off a test of subscriptions for its U.S. users, per reports from Variety. “This will help creators earn more by offering benefits to their most engaged followers like access to exclusive Lives and Stories,” said Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook and chairman/CEO of its parent company Meta in an official post sharing the news. “I’m excited to keep building tools for creators to make a living doing creative work and to put these tools in more creators’ hands soon.” Only a small portion of those U.S. -based creatives will be able to set a monthly price (at their discretion) and unlock a “subscribe” button via their profile. Creators will have eight different price points to choose from, which range from 99 cents to $99.99 per month. Courtesy of Instagram The new feature, titled Instagram Subscriptions, will also allow creators to manage what content will be...
LVRN has a new vice president, general manager, and partner — and she’s a Black woman! Billboard reports that Amber Grimes has joined the label — which is home to Summer Walker, 6LACK, and others — in the dual role. As part of her duties, the veteran of Capitol Records will oversee day-to-day operations across all of the company’s operating divisions, develop new strategies and marketing initiatives across the label’s full roster of artists. “Amber has become one of the most well-respected executives in the industry through her early work with artists in Atlanta, major labels, and streaming,” said LVRN President Tunde Balogun in a press release statement. “In her amazing career, she has amassed a high level of management and creative marketing expertise all of which will be of huge value to us as we continue to expand our business around the world.” In addition to her work at Capitol Records, Grimes served in artist and label marketing at Spotify. She said it was important to join a...
NBA player Spencer Dinwiddie — the self-proclaimed “tech guy with a jumper” — and tech entrepreneur Solo Ceesay are taking their talents to the podcasting world. Today, Dinwiddie and Ceesay — also the co-founders of Calaxy app — announced their New Money podcast in partnership with CoinDesk and Spotify in a press release exclusively provided to AfroTech. “With the launch of New Money, we are catapulting traditionally boring conversations on finances into the realm of mainstream entertainment. We have given way to colloquial conversations about new methods of wealth creation in an effort to produce something that could resonate with all audiences,” said Ceesay in a press release. While the now co-hosts are entering new territory, they aren’t new to the “creator economy” as their company, Calaxy, is an open social marketplace for creators by creators. The decentralized social media app brings creators and fans closer through various features while unlocking opportunities for creator...
Have you ever wanted to support your favorite HBCU, but didn’t have the means or the wherewithal to do so? This “spare change” app will help you do just that! AfroTech previously spoke with Dominique King — founder of the I Heart My HBCU app — who leveraged this technology to make donations to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) easy (they can be done in as little as 60 seconds) back in December of 2020. “When creating this app, it was important for me to encourage HBCU Alumni to support all HBCUs. Users can easily adjust how much or how little of the spare change they share to their five favorite HBCUs,” she said in a statement about the I Heart My HBCU app. “I Heart My HBCU became the first platform where users could donate spare change to any of the 104 HBCUs in one place.” King first launched her groundbreaking app in 2017 and became one of an elite cadre of Black female tech entrepreneurs in the space. A graduate of Howard University, King’s first goal was to...
Like other celebrities who have had enough of censorship on social media platforms, Summer Walker might be throwing in the towel with Instagram too. Last Thursday (Aug. 26), the R&B singer took to her secondary Instagram account to share with her followers an alternative solution to solve her problems with the visual app, REVOLT reports. “I’m bout to look into creating a app similar cause this IG shit going to hell,” she wrote in a post before also adding, “idk if I even wanna drop my Galactawhore merch on here….. lol it might go against they “‘guidelines.’” Walker has ran into some trouble recently with the content she’s posted on her Instagram page, citing her violations against the app’s guidelines after posting several controversial posts online — including anti-vaccination rhetoric. “I’m done w this app, and really this whole plandemic agenda,” she wrote in a since-deleted post in response to Instagram flagging her content. “It goes against guidelines to say sleep, water,...
Which social media platform has the best features? Well, it’s hard to tell nowadays when they all practically use a variant of the same basic features. From private messaging to disappearing story posts to live chatting and so forth, the social media landscape is starting to look like one big blur. So, what does that mean for the future?
It’s time for these social media platforms to do better — starting with steaming platform Twitch. From Facebook to Instagram to TikTok, social media platforms have been plagued with all kinds of hatred, especially when it comes to content as it pertains to Black people. As a true reflection of the world that we live in, social media just reiterates the day-to-day racism faced by Black people across the globe, and it’s no different when it comes to the Twitch platform. It is the world’s leading live streaming platform for gamers and folks who like to share the things that they love with audiences all over the world, but lately, its Black users have been faced with the most ignorant and outright disrespectful comments. According to Black Information Network (BIN), the streaming platform trended across Twitter earlier this week after users accused the company of failing to protect its creators. The creators include content creators of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and women who claim...