TikTok Launches 3-Month Incubation Program For Black Creators

TikTok is launching a three-month incubation program that will “focus on nurturing and developing 100 talented Black creators and music artists,” it announced today.

“Black creators on TikTok have been a driving force for our community, from starting trends to fostering connection to introducing new ways to entertain and inspire others, and we’re committed to continuing to elevate and amplify their voices,” the platform said in a blog post.

The program is open to Black creators who are over 18, in the U.S., and have a minimum of 10,000 followers on TikTok.

The 100 accepted creators will attend town halls led by Black entrepreneurs and celebrities as well as educational events with TikTok executives. Each of them will also receive an undisclosed amount of money thanks to a grant from MACRO, the digital production company founded by Harvard

law alum and longtime William Morris Endeavor talent manager Charles D. King.

Funds from the grant can be used for production costs, educational resources, and “other creative content development tools,” TikTok said.

MACRO is also advising TikTok on selecting speakers, creating content for the program, and organizing professional opportunities for participants.

Applications are open today through Jan. 27. TikTok will reveal finalists in February.

This announcement comes seven months after creators organized a blackout protest over allegations that TikTok was shadowbanning Black users and disproportionately targeting their content for enforcement of community guidelines. In June 2020, TikTok established a creator diversity council to address these and other concerns from marginalized users.