“Rooting for everybody Black” - Issa Rae
The motivation
Black culture is loved across the world. Brands use the culture to connect with audiences, as it’s seen as ‘cool’ and ‘trendy’. The things black folk have naturally or have been doing all their lives get presented in the mainstream as the cool ‘new’ thing (e.g. tanned/darker skin or Kim K’s boxer braids). When we do get centre-stage, cultural nuances are often missing, and we’re represented in inaccurate and stereotypical ways. This affects how black people are treated in their everyday lives.
Now, we’re not saying that black culture can’t be showcased on a mainstream stage by people outside the culture, but it needs to be done respectfully and with care. Not used without acknowledgement or recognition. When stories are told, let them not be performative, or reduced to just oppressive black trauma stories, and definitely not to the negative stereotypes that society has perpetuated for centuries. Do that and your reputation is on the line. The black community will absolutely call it out, leading to backlash and demands for you to be cancelled immediately. People are not silent about stuff like this anymore. They want, expect and deserve better.
Why do we exist?
We recognise that brands are starting to do the work to diversify their teams so that culturally nuanced stories can be authentically told. We know this takes time and is not a quick fix but it just can’t wait. We need to see those changes now. This is exactly why Power of the Culture was created, to provide this support. Monique Needham is a storyteller, filmmaker and strategist who lives for telling people stories and wants to empower the black community and change the way the world views us. Removing stereotypes, tropes, negative narratives, invisibility and replacing that with broader, fuller and enriched reflections of the black community.
So what do we do exactly?
Provide access to insights from voices within the black community, to surface nuances that arise from the intersections of race, gender, sexuality and class
Work with you on developing creative that accurately represents the black community
Sense check concepts and ideas ahead of creative development
Support and provide guidance on ways to incorporate cultural nuance in your stories
OUR TEAM HAVE WORKED WITH THE FOLLOWING BRANDS OVER THE YEARS….
Google. Burberry. Tesco. Channel 4. Samsung. Vodafone.