Black History Month is always a special month for us at TTL. Each year, we see it as more than just a moment of reflection, but an opportunity to uplift, celebrate, and amplify the voices of Black creators who are shaping the influencer space in powerful ways. From storytelling to trendsetting, Black creators use their talents to inspire and build meaningful connections with their audiences that deserve to hold space in the digital marketing world.
With today’s political and social climate, it’s more important than ever for TTL to continue to shine a spotlight on creator contributions. As in years past, I’ll be sharing both influencer and Black-owned brand spotlights on my IG stories everyday throughout the month of February, so be sure to tune in and show some love. Remember, the best ways to support your favorite Black creators doesn’t cost you a dime.
Ways to Support Black Creators:
- Follow them and engage with their content – like, comment, and share their content.
- Support their sponsored content! When your favorite creators share sponsored content – don’t skip their ads and be sure to click on the links even if you don’t plan to make a purchase. A lot of our success with branded content relies on how much you interact with our content and yes, how many times you click our links.
Honoring Black History Amid the LA Fires
While I continue to see the importance of my creator and brand spotlight, if I’m being honest, it doesn’t seem like enough. For so many reasons, this year has started out with an air of hopelessness, fear, and devastation. My city and home, Los Angeles, has been enduring horrific fires for nearly a month, and I’m sure we will see the impacts of this destruction and loss for generations to come. As an Angeleno, seeing my city burn and watching people lose their homes has been truly gutting to the core. Throughout this devastation, I came to learn about the history behind the city of Altadena that has been harshly impacted by the Eaton fires. The city’s significance to Black history in LA is all too important not to share. Over the next month in addition to sharing about Black creators expect to also learn about local black businesses in LA, families affected by the fires, and more. Below I will share a brief history of Altadena’s Black community and ways you can get involved to help.
Altadena’s Historic Black Community:
Prior to the 1970s, much of LA prevented Black communities from forming in predominantly white neighborhoods due to “redlining”. According to Federal Reserve History, “Redlining is the practice of denying people access to credit because of where they live, even if they are personally qualified for loans.” Redlining is a shameful part of American history that reinforced a segregated society and prevented Black families from integrating and/or excluded them from the same opportunities as their white counterparts. One of the few areas in LA exempt from redlining was Altedena. Following the Civil War, abolitionist and self-described “engineer of the underground railroad”, Owen Brown escaped to California and settled in Altadena. He built a cabin in an area called Altadena Meadows where union soldiers and liberated slaves could gather. The Altadena Meadows would later become a vibrant, culturally rich Black community throughout the 1920’s, 30’s and 40’s. Following the end of segregation, many white families began to move out of Altadena as Black families began to settle in, leading the Black population to increase from around 4% in the 60s to about 43% in the 1980s. Altadena became a thriving community of middle-class Black professionals, educators and artists. To give you an idea, Altadena was home to notable figures like – Willa Beatrice Brown, the first Black woman in the U.S. to become a licensed pilot, the first Black women to run for Congress, and lobbyist for equality in the military; Sidney Poitier, the first Black actor to win an academy award, and Octavia Butler, award winning science fiction writer.
Today, Altadena remains an important hub for diversity and a melting pot of cultures with 52% of its residents being people of color. Not to mention, an astonishing 81% of Black Altadena residents are home owners. Babes, that’s nearly twice the national average! Following the fires, many Black residents have not only lost their homes, but a greater sense of community and history that has been integral to their identity and life. Many of the Black residents that currently reside in Altadena had their homes passed on from generation to generation, making the home’s significance in their lives even greater as they inherit the history of being descendants of the first Black homeowners in Altadena. With inflation, comes the real possibility that many of these working class families will not be able to afford the cost to rebuild, pushing outBlack families from this beautiful LA neighborhood. I can’t help but feel an urgency to do all we can to help preserve an important part of Black history in LA.
Amid this devastating and challenging time, I am a believer in channeling negative energy and redirecting it into positivity. If, like me, you are looking for ways to reset the tone of the rest of the year, here are some ways that I plan to re-approach 2025, starting with Black History Month.
- Support Local Black-Owned Businesses: One way that I will be working towards helping the Black community is by visiting, buying, and shopping at more Black-owned businesses. In my area and the Pasadena area there are so many Black-owned businesses that are really wonderful and doing amazing things for the community, so I would love to support them, especially the ones that have been directly affected by the fires. If you are local to Pasadena, you can check out VisitPasadena.com for a list of locally owned Black businesses. Also, a quick google search for “Black owned businesses in [your city]” will give you local options for cafes, bookstores, restaurants and more.
- Donate Directly to Families in Need: Throughout this devastation, I’ve been so moved to see social media being used as a tool for good to help raise money for the impacted families. I’m not sure how it started, but some brilliant, kindhearted person or group has put together a Master List of GoFundme’s for black families impacted by the fire. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Black History Month than by supporting Black families during their greatest time of need. I love that this master list is organized by greatest need so that we can easily support families who haven’t reached their goal.
- Volunteer and Get Involved: We all have those moments where it all feels like too much. For me, the one thing that makes me feel empowered is to take action. Whether that’s through volunteering my time or donating clothing and beauty products, doing what I can to help make a difference, however big or small does so much for my soul.
- Simple Gestures: While underrated, simply checking in with your Black friends and family goes a long way. Simple gestures like sending a morning text with words of affirmation, passing along feel-good stories or news, or even starting a family or friend group chat to share laughter throughout the day are good ways to uplift those around you.
Black history month isn’t limited to a single a month – it’s woven into the fabric of our everyday lives. The impact of the Black community is undeniable, shaping the world through innovation and inventions, art, music, fashion, sports and politics. Black excellence is deeply rooted in our nation’s history and will continue to enrich and shape our future. Whether or not Black History Month continues to be recognized nationally, TTL will continue to uplift Black voices and celebrate the beautiful contributions of my community.
Resources / Nonprofits, Organizations, and Businesses that support the black community:
Black Organizations Stepping Up for Los Angeles Fire Relief
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