“We fell short of providing the experience we intended and we are profoundly sorry for the negative impact caused by our missteps,” a TikTok spokesperson said
A recent virtual meet and greet with Nicki Minaj hosted by TikTok received backlash for reputedly giving opportunities to non-Black attendees over Black creators. Many creators say that the disappointing event is emblematic of how TikTok fails its Black community.
An email reviewed by NBC News announced that the app was “kicking off Black History Month” with an “exclusive virtual TikTok creator Meet Up.” The email invited creators to a Feb. 8 Zoom event, where attendees would have the opportunity to meet Minaj, “brainstorm content ideas” and preview her new music.
The limited time to ask Minaj questions was “dominated” by non-Black voices, BuzzFeed first reported last week.
Anthony Hyland, 29, questioned why TikTok would promote the event as an “exclusive” celebration of Black History Month if it planned to invite non-Black creators. The poet and public speaker, known as ispeak1906 on TikTok, has 1.5 million followers and was able to get into the Zoom call.
“Not that they couldn’t invite other communities,” Hyland told NBC News. “But the majority of the creators there should have represented the demographic of the event that [they] were holding, and that was not true.”
A spokesperson for TikTok said that the company deeply regrets how the event was handled, and acknowledged the strained relationship many Black creators already have with TikTok.
We fell short of providing the experience we intended and we are profoundly sorry for the negative impact caused by our missteps. #BlackTikTok, we hear you, we value you and we will do better.”
“This month, we invited creators across our diverse TikTok creator community to attend a virtual Black History Month event with Nicki Minaj in celebration of her new music,” a TikTok spokesperson said. “We fell short of providing the experience we intended and we are profoundly sorry for the negative impact caused by our missteps. #BlackTikTok, we hear you, we value you and we will do better.