“See a need fill a need.” There has been a controversy in the social media world as #TikTok faced criticism for white creatives receiving more visual representation than Black creatives.
After Black content creators boycotted creating dance challenges on TikTok after noticing that white creators were receiving more recognition from the trends created by Black users, Instagram has since announced a unique tag where professional accounts and influencers will receive credit for their original content.
Instagram engineer #CamerynBoyd and data analyst #AlexisMichelleAdjei worked to address these issues so that these Black creators can get the credit and popularity that they deserve for their work.
@NBCNews reports, “Adjei and Boyd joined Meta in August 2020 before landing on the idea the following February. They worked on it with colleague Alexandra Zaoui, building it out together and pitching it across different teams at Instagram’s parent company, Meta, until eventually getting their own team, which prepared the feature to launch this week under the pair’s leadership.”
To use the new enhanced tags, users will need to tap “Tag People” when creating a post, Tech Crunch reported. The next step is to tap on “Add Tag,” where users can search and select their contributors. Click “Show Profile Category” to display the creator category that includes roles such as “stylist” or “photographer.” The feature will help ensure that all involved receive their proper credit.
“For many Black and underrepresented creators, crediting is an entryway to building a sustainable career as a creator while combating cultural appropriation and ensuring the world knows who is driving culture,” Boyd said. “Simply put —if you’re a makeup artist, songwriter, or another significant collaborator on a post, your contributions will be more visible in the post.”
This new feature won’t change everything, but it is a step towards creating accountability towards giving beautiful black creators the flowers they deserve for their work, thanks to the actions of hard-working Black women who saw a problem and made a solution. #BWLM💕
