While YouTube has now become the younger generation’s go-to source for entertainment that promotes exposure to non-traditional voices in media (in particular, content created by African-Americans), as the audience, it can sometimes get a little overwhelming. Don’t know where to start? Here are the top three black YouTube stars you should get to know:
- Jackie Aina
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While Youtube is full of Jeffree Star’s and Tati’s—white makeup artists that get millions of subscribers, brand deals, and collaborations— Jackie Aina is a black woman who is paving her own way and advocating for others. Her Youtube channel description is “changing the standard of beauty, one video at a time :)” and she does what she says. Not only is she a talented makeup artist, but she advocates for the visibility of African-Americans in the beauty industry every chance she gets. She has videos (insert link) where she does her makeup and speaks candidly on all kinds of issues, often on the subject of race. She has partnered with e.l.f. Cosmetics, Too Faced, Sephora, and Sigma Beauty, and was recently invited to Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty Bronzer release party for influencers.
Some of my favorite videos: FENTY BEAUTY What Have You Done Now!?, I Don’t See Color – A Makeup Tutorial.
- Kianna Naomi
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If you’re more into vlog-style channels, Kianna Naomi is one of my favorites. She’s a teen girl who films “What I wear in a day,” clothing haul, and other typical everyday girl videos. Her channel is not exactly black-focused — as in her platform is not based around black issues or visibility. There is something to be said for Jackie Aina and her diversity fight, but there is also something trendsetting about Kianna’s work in navigating the mostly-white genre of teen Youtubers while being black. Her content treads a fine line between speaking and doing, similar to the contrast between the movies Get Out and Us. Although it’s important to speak about the issue, it’s equally necessary to take action in adding some diversity into the genre.
She’s been one of few black faces in a group sponsored by Dote to Coachella, in a trip sponsored by Princess Polly to Fiji, and recently, in a trip to Tennessee sponsored by Sephora. Just by being in these spaces, Kianna allows young black girls to see someone that looks like them in places where they usually aren’t.
Some of my favorite videos: another HUGE try on clothing haul, the tea on Fiji.
- Luhsetty
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One of my favorite kinds of influencers, Lisette (YouTube name Luhsetty) focuses mainly on curly hair care. She focuses on hair and beauty tips, but my favorite part of her channel is her transparency when it comes to sharing life tips with her subscribers. I think that because her following is younger and she’s in her early 20’s, she has taken a big sister role in a lot of young black girls’ lives. Lisette has more mature content than her peers, and speaks on sex, drinking, and relationships, as well as female hygiene. Her goal is to help her more than 2 million subscribers not have to learn lessons the hard way that she did.
Professionally, Lisette has been on big, sponsored trips to Fiji (Princess Polly) and Bora Bora (Tarte Cosmetics). She’s also been to Mexico with Carol’s Daughter, along with other natural hair vloggers like Jasmine Brown and Joyjah, influencing our generation of black girls to embrace their hair and take the best care of it.
Some of my favorite videos: ☆ WE TOOK AN AMAZING TRIP TO MEXICO!!!, ♡ GIRL TALK: How To GLOW UP & Be Confident.