As Black History Month is coming to an end, I found it necessary to give some accolades to some of my favorite Black creators across a spectrum of industries, including beauty, fashion, art, and activism. Many times, Black people have shaped the fields they are a part of, and in certain aspects, may still be overlooked. Still, I believe that each person’s respective influences are equally important to those they have impacted, no matter how widely known their contributions are compared to others. Therefore, I felt it was important to share a list of 5 of my favorite Black creatives you need to know. That is, in no particular order whatsoever.
Pat mcgrath
Known for her brand Pat McGrath Labs, Dame Patricia Ann McGrath DBE has held the beauty world in a chokehold for almost three decades. Her innovative ideas—the most recent being the “glass skin” look at the Maison Margiela SS 24 runway show—have cemented her as one of the influential makeup artists to date. Looking at her lengthy resume, you will notice that she has collaborated with notorious fashion houses: Prada, Dior, Versace, Louis Vuitton, McQueen, Givenchy and Yves Saint Laurent.
As a dark skinned woman, she noticed that brands lacked shades appropriate for women of her shade at the time. Therefore, she collaborated with Armani to create the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, released in 2000, that has now become a staple in many makeup routines.
Her fight for diversity in her respective industries did not go unnoticed. In 2021, McGrath was awarded D.B.E. Dame of the British Empire for her contributions toward inclusivity in the Fashion and Beauty Sector, becoming the first MUA to achieve such status and recognition.
Olamide Olowe
Living up to her name, which means “a success has arrived,” Olamide Olowe has built a brand for herself that only few can brag about. Before being inducted into the Forbes 30 under 30, the young entrepreneur made waves in the beauty and business industries after being named the youngest Black woman to raise $10M in venture funding.
A primary example of Olowe’s fruits of success is her widely known skincare brand: Topicals. Not only is her company known for its iconic products, such as the Faded Under Eye Masks and Serum. Critics commend Olowe for her genius marketing, like their brand trip to Ghana for #dettydecember and influence partnerships. Since its founding, Topicals cemented a name for itself, and so has Olowe.
Rachel motley
A multidisciplinary artist, Rachel Motley combines digital illustrations and fashion to create what I like to call the best of both worlds. From partnerships with Nike and Adobe to Super Bowl collaborations, Motley is a reflection of the idea that hard work pays off.
While Motley was still an undergrad at the illustrious Howard University, she had already collected some amazing artistic opportunities under her belt, some examples being A freelance illustrator for the NBA and ESPN. With Nike, she designed sneakers for the Kyrie 7 shoe collection. For Coach, she created a custom letterman jacket for Michael B Jordan in collaboration with Coach.
As she continues on with her career as a digital illustrator, Motley also gives others in her field an understanding of the various possibilities ahead of them on her blog Good Art, and shares even more of her life as an artist on her TikTok page.
Kianna Naomi
As someone who identifies as an avid YouTube watcher, I can say that Kianna Naomi is one of my favorite content creators right now. While she has been a YouTuber for the longest, Naomi also has the title actress behind her belt. Although I have watched her for years, I love the new direction she has taken in her content.
Naomi’s solo travel vlogs are perfect for any young woman looking to leave the country. Whether it be this spring or in the summer, she is a great person to watch to prepare for vacation. Not only does she seem to go on amazing adventures, but Naomi’s editing style allows her viewers to wholly experience the trips with her.
Lastly, she gives advice for a young woman traveling internationally on their own. On her YouTube channel, she discusses various credit card, flight, and accommodation options and shares many safety tips—ensuring that her subscribers have the best experience possible.
Yar Sudani
After starting my natural hair journey in the summer before my first year of high school, I struggled to find Black girls and women with tight coils like mine. Even if I did find them, it was hard to find other Black women who embraced their type 4 hair while it was in its state of shrinkage.
When I discovered Yar Sudani, a South Sudanese content creator, in her early social media days, I watched her because of her social stances. Sudani uses TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram to advocate for non-ambiguous Black women. Yar believed that Black women were one of the most overlooked groups in America. As time passed, they continued to advocate for oppressed groups while teaching herself and other Black girls and women to embrace their natural hair in its most raw state.
Now, Yar owns a blog named the Sudani Diaries, in which they discuss their haircare, hobbies, opinions, and a range of ideas that I feel are worth hearing.
Honorable mention: lipglossssssssss
Although her name might look different from that of other creators, Lipglossssssssss is one of the most influential Black content creators I know. Just like her handle name, Lipglossssssssss is unique in her own right. Sasha’s impact on the Black community allows me to credit her as one of the most influential Black content creators across multiple platforms.
Sasha openly spoke about the hard truths that exist in the Black community about how Black women were perceived. Her discussions ranged from the anti-black views of coily, type 4 hair and the constant pressure that society placed on Black women to conform to anti-black beauty standards. Despite pushback from members of her community, Sasha continued to embrace her coils in their most natural state and advocated that other Black girls try doing the same. She wanted all of us to be proud of our most authentic selves and wholly believed that how Black hair looked should not be a topic of debate.
Unfortunately, users bullied her off of TikTok due to her views, which they saw as controversial at the time. While she does not explicitly state her opinions on social media anymore, thousands of Black women and girls across the globe credit her for allowing them to embrace their natural beauty outside of makeup, filters, and manipulated hairstyles.