This story was originally published on Passionfruit.
In a panel discussion at VidCon moderated by Kat Blaque, Black content creators discussed what it meant to be Black in media, and how it differs from the white creator experience.
The discussion featured Matt Smith (@DangMattSmith) Tahj (@Tik.Tok.Tahj), JD Witherspoon (@runjdrun), and La’Ron Hines (@laronhinesofficial), and allowed the influencers to speak about content creation from a different angle.
Kat Blaque opened the discussion with a poignant question: “What’s it like to Black online?”
Tahj was quick to answer: “It seems like there’s some sort of expectation to lead people, which is not bad, because I love that. People look up to us as content creators, especially if they relate to us, which is a lot of pressure.”
La’Ron shared similar thoughts: “My mom always told me you always have to work a little bit harder just to get the recognition. Everyone should be working hard, but it’s that extra work that you have to put in to get the credit you deserve.”
