It’s a beautiful thing to be creative and paid.
Black people drive culture around the globe. It isn’t a secret. Yet, when it comes to the proper credit and compensation the conversation is strikingly different.
In a recent study, MSL Group, a PR firm, revealed that there is a 35% pay gap between white and Black content creators, with the latter group making a significantly lower amount than their white counterparts in the content creation space.
Day 2 of the 2024 AFROTECH™ Conference kicked off on Nov. 14 with a discussion between creatives Imani Ellis, founder and CEO of The Creative Collective NYC, known for its annual CultureCon, and Shannae Ingleton Smith, co-creator of influencer agency Kensington Grey, for a discussion called “The Business of Creativity.”
As founders, the pair have a firsthand account of life in America as content creators, and they’ve developed platforms that pour into Black creatives. Whether it’s through time and energy, resources, etc., they’re on a mission to close the pay gap that Black people face on the daily.
“We are the originators of really incredible ideas, but now more than ever we have data to back it up,” Ellis told a crowd of eager AFROTECH™ Conference attendees. “What’s really exciting about that is that it’s not just based on ‘wait can’t you see these trends? Can’t you see what’s happening?’ It’s now, ‘look at what’s happening.’ Nielsen actually just worked with Group Black to put out a creator report. This isn’t just feelings from the group chat. These are proven metrics that Black culture and Black creators are driving the economy, and so you can’t talk about a billon-dollar creator economy and not talk about Black creators.”
According to the Black Creator Impact report, Black creators generate 10.5 times the media value that non-Black creators do, so the proof is quite literally in the pudding.
Numbers do not lie. Moreover, the data also showed that 71% of consumers are more likely to buy something if a Black creator tells them to, further proving why these creators should be at the forefront of brand deals that amplify and uplift the community that they represent.
So How Do I Benefit From This As A Black Creator?
For Ellis and Smith, consistency has remained a driving force to their success. Moreover, they also shared that people crave authenticity more than ever in today’s landscape. They additionally stressed the importance of knowing your worth and bringing that to the table during negotiations.
As the person behind the firm responsible for representing Black content creators like Janee Naylor, Cait the Great, DeAndre Brown, and a host of others, Smith said that it is imperative for those in the industry to remain true to themselves.
“It has to be authentic,” she said. “I think that when you lead with authenticity, that’s where the magic happens. So when DeAndre Brown partnered with LinkedIn it made sense.”
Additionally, she spoke to using your power to negotiate a rate that showcases your worth, noting that the recipe for good negotiation includes walking away if needed and not saying yes to everything.
Looking ahead, the creator economy will see it must embrace Black creators — that means amplifying their voices, uplifting them, and most importantly, ensuring that they are paid!
