On Sunday (Feb. 25), TikTok recognized the major contributions of Black creators with the 2024 Visionary Voices Black Hollywood Brunch at Hotel Bel-Air. Hosted by Global Head of Diversity and Inclusion Communications Shavone Charles and #BlackTikTok Community Manager Alexzi Girma, the event celebrated influencers and innovators amplifying Black voices in entertainment.

The brunch highlighted TikTok's role in promoting Black creativity and its impact within and beyond the platform. Attendees included notable figures like Aliyah’s Interlude, Flo Milli, Jackie Aina, and LaLa Milan, along with Visionary Voices honorees Jordan Howlett, LU KALA, and Daven Gates. The gathering also featured networking, fine dining, and discussions on the #BlackTikTok community's pivotal role in shaping personal and professional brands into successful ventures.

“Our #BlackTikTok community continues to raise the bar for creativity and drive industry-shifting influence on and off of TikTok,” Girma shared. Charles added, “This Black History Month and year-round, TikTok is proud to celebrate the brilliance of #BlackTikTok and amplify the culture-defining impact of our visionary, diverse community.”

Elsewhere, the event included a #ShopBlack experience with brands like Topicals, Ami Colé, and Pat McGrath Labs. Through initiatives like the #BlackTikTok Visionary Voices list and creator grant programs, the social media app aims to champion the impact and brilliance of the Black creator community.

Earlier this month, honoree Gates gave tips to content creators about how they can increase their reach and grow a larger audience. “If I can give two pieces of advice for Black creatives that are trying to break into this space, the first one would be to be yourself, of course,” he explained. “I think the worst thing that you can do is try to focus on views, likes, shares, and stuff like that. If you’re being yourself and you have quality content that people actually wanna see, that’s how you’re going to be able to get people to follow you.”

Gates added, “My second piece of advice would be to be someone that people look forward to hearing and seeing. Once you do that, your community is gonna grow. Before you know it, your page will be exactly where you want it to be.”