Since I started using TikTok in 2019, I’ve seen several videos of POC content creators speaking up about their content constantly being shadowbanned. Being shadowbanned on TikTok means being banned from the platform or when visibility on your videos has been reduced resulting in the videos not appearing on the FYP (For You Page) as frequently as before. However, more recently I’ve seen an increase in these videos on my FYP. This isn’t just happening to POC content creators but Minority content creators in general. This is happening on many different sides of TikTok like Alt, Spiritual, and Cottagecore.

Often there are videos from these content creators asking for viewers to help boost their content or support them by following, commenting, or sharing their videos. These content creators also get their videos removed multiple times for excuses such as “not following community guidelines” or “hate speech.” These videos are normally them discussing videos of people who are disrespecting their communities/cultures, as well as just talking about issues related to their communities in general and trying to educate people.

Why does this happen? Obviously it has to do with the people watching the videos. Even videos about women showing love to their bodies are taken down because of “nudity.” This isn’t just about the viewers. It’s discrimination towards those groups of people. People come across these videos and report them because they don’t agree with the people in them and what the people are a part of. There have been cases where Tik Tok has kept up the discriminator’s video but taken down the creator’s video. There have also been cases when people on the app have threatened to leave the app because of not being able to fully express themselves. 

These creators have found many ways to speak up about issues not just relating to their communities but others as well like voiceovers with makeup tutorials, GRWM (Get Ready With Me), poetry, songs, and more. Here are some minority content creators that I’ve seen on the app and follow. There are many more on the app but these are a few I’d like to share.

•  @helenkvo
•  @wisdm8
•  @ssamueleverett
•  @dasilvadakid
• @casshuff
• @maliaschmalleger
• @isaiahxavier10

I’ve seen many videos on the app of creators speaking up about their communities. One that stood out to me was a video by @helenkvo, An Asian American TikToker on the app. As a way to educate people about her experiences being a part of the Asian community she wrote a poem. The poem was absolutely beautiful, well written, and well spoken. When you have the time you should check out the video on her page. Another video I saw was from @casshuff. She was replying to a comment stating that “disabled people aren’t oppressed.” This video was just one of the many on her page where she educated people about the disabled community. You can find that video on her page as well as her many others.

Please try your best to support/follow small and minority content creators throughout the app. Look at some of the people you follow and ask yourself whether or not your following list is diverse enough. If you don’t want to follow some of the people try helping them out by boosting their content with comments or sharing their videos with friends. Try out a few of the creators listed above. Not all of them have small platforms but they’re still from different communities. Whether it be people of color, people from the LGBTQ+ community, or disabled content creators.