Black TikTok creators are taking a stand over the lack of credit many of them receive for crafting viral dance trends, with some uniting behind Megan Thee Stallion’s recently released single “Thot Shit” to drive home the point.
To be clear, none of this is intended as a boycott of Megan herself but is instead the latest development on the #BlackTikTokStrike front. And the issue, of course, is one that’s long been discussed as being in need of swift addressing.
Earlier this year, for example, controversy erupted following TikTok influencer Addison Rae’s Tonight Show appearance during which she performed a number of viral dances that were in fact developed by Black creators. Notably, that example is far from an anomaly.
What would be typical for an instant hit like Megan’s “Thot Shit,” which marked the Grammy winner’s first solo release since her Good News album, would be for a viral dance trend to quickly emerge—likely due to the work of Black creators—before the credit is lost and those who simply emulate are given an unbalanced amount of attention. A number of previously released Megan tracks have received the usual TikTok treatment, including the “Savage” dance created by Keara Wilson in March of last year.
In short, many Black creators have recently instituted what some publications are calling a strike to call greater attention to the need for their work to be appropriately credited and elevated. Due to this effort, others on TikTok have resorted to attempting to make a dance of their own with expected outcomes.
As Twitter user @JasmineSW3 pointed out, however, calling this a “strike” may not be a fair description as “plenty of Black creators are making dances, they’re just doing it under their own sound.” Thus, white creators looking to copy are unable to find the dance “because they don’t really support the Black people on that app.”
Below, see a few instances of #BlackTikTokStrike in action, as well as several examples of what’s transpired as a result.
