In the past, it was incredibly difficult for me to find POC content creators to follow. There were few that were well-known, and if I wanted to find someone new, I had to go fish. Sometimes, I got lucky by seeing who my favorite POC creators were following and finding those people interesting. Other times, friends gave me suggestions. But too often, these all tended to overlap. POC were watching the same people and lesser-known POC content creators were having a hard time publicizing their content.
And boyyyyy, do I get that struggle. It's rough out there for those of us who are just starting out. We often don't have the money to boost our content and get it seen by many people. Fortunately, some of us realized that one way to get our work out there is to boost each other's content.
Now, some of the creators on this list are people you have probably heard of and some aren't. But all of them put a lot of effort into their work, and I assure you, their work is quality.
1.
Kat Blaque: Kat is a talented children's book illustrator, blogger, social justice activist, YouTuber, and proponent of trans rights. Her social justice videos are informative and well-researched, with an extremely professional look. I found her page through an acquaintance, but you can find her content by going to these handy-dandy links for Facebook and YouTube.
2.
Adorned by Chi: Black women are often stereotyped as scary, "ghetto," tough, and "aggressive." No matter our appearances, we're rarely ever seen as anything else. And because of these harmful stereotypes, we're subjected to constant ridicule and all types of negativity whenever we deviate from the stereotypes. Adorned by Chi is a lifestyle brand that encourages and embraces that black women can be naturally soft and cute. That it's not strange for us to love adorable things. Take a look at their main site or mosey on over to their Facebook page!
3.
HeyParis: Paris is a YouTube storyteller and beauty guru. If you're looking for someone with a great sense of humor to go with an amazing fashion sense, you need to watch Paris's videos ASAP. TBH, I almost never watch storytellers or beauty gurus because they always come off as fake. Paris doesn't. She's got a warm, genuine personality and is very interactive with her viewers on her social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. But why take my word for it? Watch Paris's videos here!
4.
Jackie Aina: Another one of my three beauty guru faves, Jackie is a YouTuber whose makeup skills are A-1. And not just with expensive products (Lord knows I sure as hell can't afford those), but also with drugstore and mall brand products affordable for the average viewer. She's not afraid to talk about the colorism and racism rampant in the makeup and fashion industries, so if you're tired of people who sugarcoat or skirt around those issues, Jackie Aina is definitely someone you should be watching.
5.
Jenny Yang: Looking for some comedy to go with your activism? Look no further than Jenny Yang. She's the hilarious mind behind "How to Eat PB&J," a response to Bon Appetit Magazine's disastrous, whitewashed How to Eat Pho video (Still cringe every time I remember it. Talk about 50 Shades of NOPE). The lady is damn funny and witty as hell. She's got great stuff on YouTube and Facebook--and her Twitter is the stuff of comedic legend--but you can also check out one of her shows IRL for the full experience.
6.
Thoughts of an Angry Hijabi: I found my way to TOAAH one day while looking up the meaning of the word hijabi (It just refers to someone who wears a hijab). Angry Hijabi is a blogger and avid social justice activist on Facebook. Her content gives followers a good look at life as a Muslim person in the U.S. as well as covering WOC, POC, and LGBTQ+ issues.
7.
Decked Out Beauty, Inc.: Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the amazing lady behind Decked Out Beauty, Inc. is a makeup artist whose skills speak for themselves. Every WOC with skin darker than tan can relate to how difficult it is to use makeup when few lines include colors that even come close to properly matching our skin tones. As someone who wears makeup almost every day, I can tell you that it's nothing short of a pain in the ass to find makeup shades that look good on my skin. But if you're lucky enough to live in the Atlanta area, Decked Out Beauty is there to help you out with all that. And, if you need more specialized assistance, you can also get assistance with general skincare and brows, too!