Facebook has launched a new platform to highlight the work of Black creators, and a new guide to help businesses show their support for the Black community, as part of its ongoing Black History Month initiatives.
First off, Facebook has launched a new ‘We Create‘ showcase which highlights the work of 15 Black creators on Instagram who recently took part in Facebook Elevate training.
As explained by Facebook:
“We Create champions creativity and aims to provide inspiration and opportunity by bringing together small business owners and ad industry creatives. Instagram partnered with Facebook Elevate and creative agency The Creative Collective NYC to bring together 15 Black-owned businesses and 15 top Black creatives to make custom Instagram content that addressed the business’ unique needs.”
The above video example is from Black Girl Sunscreen, but you can view examples of all the creative projects, and profiles of the creators, at the dedicated We Create site.
In addition to this, Facebook has also launched a new guide which aims to highlight history, share resources and provide recommendations on how we can all support the Black business community.
Black businesses have been significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As per Facebook:
“Facebook’s forthcoming US State of Small Business Report reveals that businesses in majority-minority neighborhoods faced poorer business outcomes, including a higher closure rate (36% versus 22%).”
With this in mind, the new guide looks to highlight key data points and notes in order to show the importance of representation and diversity in supporting broader community needs.
As part of the launch, Facebook has also added a new GIPHY sticker pack, developed in partnership with Black artists, with the stickers designed to be used on Instagram to “empower people to celebrate the Black community and Black-owned businesses”.
As noted, the new initiatives are part of Facebook’s broader support efforts for Black-owned businesses and creators, which includes millions in funding for new projects to provide a platform to help creators.
Given the data on the impacts of the pandemic, this is a crucial area of focus, and the events of 2020 have further highlighted societal divides, and the need for us all to address social inequity where possible.
These new initiatives provide some additional guidance on how you can do just that.
