The Screenshot: Week of February 1st
Hi there! Happy Black History Month. Here’s your TL;DR: The Gen Zer making waves; Black Joy; Gamestop on the Big Screen; #PengBlackGirls, and how are we celebrating BHM?
Trending
Amanda Gorman is breaking another first this week…
TikTok is calling Black girls ‘peng’ – say what?
The new Oreo cookies we’re going Gaga for
The Gamestop saga moving from front page to big screen.
Nicki paying the price of a really expensive Fast Car in this lawsuit.
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Ztat: Black History Month
The story of Black Americans in the US is too often told exclusively through the lens of struggle and oppression while the jubilation and culture gets drowned out. The story of Black joy is also an American story, and Gen Z wants to hear that, too.
When we started a conversation about Black joy in partnership with VSCO, we saw that:
• 86% of Black Gen Zers wanted to celebrate more joy on social media, including 70% of non-Black Gen Zers.
• The top three emotions that Black Gen Zers felt was missing from their social media feeds were Excitement, Joy and Comfort.
So, this Black History Month, while you’re recognizing the struggles of liberation icons and honoring them, make sure to celebrate Black joy, happiness, and culture too.
Gen Z Group Chat
Who’s doing what for BHM? This Black History Month will be amplified as we welcome the month-long celebration for the first time after the voices of Black Lives Matter reverberated across the globe last summer. To get a taste, we’ve rounded up what many of Gen Z’s favorite brands are doing for BHM:
• TikTok pressed play on a Black Creator Fund that finally recognises a demographic that drives the lingo and trends on the platform.
• Yahoo announced a programme to amplify Black voices and educate about Black history through their platforms, while doubling down on their allyship pledge.
• Apple launched their vertical across all their apps with a major App Store hub. They’ve also commissioned 30 Black artists to tell their inspiring stories.
• Barbie released a Dr. Maya Angelou doll to pay tribute to the late poet (BTW it’s already sold out!) and Marvel are celebrating their Black superheroes. Black representation is truly here.
What is JUV doing?
• Celebrating Black joy and Black contributions to art and culture on our platforms.
• Bringing together opportunities to empower and encourage Black students.
• Engaging brands in the conversation around Black History Month.
• So excited to be reading ‘So You Want To Talk About Race’ by Ijeoma Oluo at our first internal book club!
Your initiatives don’t have to be as big as Apple’s or as well-funded as TikTok’s, but it’s about what you do with the platform you have. Gen Z expects companies to use their voice and meaningfully engage in these conversations, so what will you do?
More on Trending…
1. Amanda Gorman will be the first poet ever to perform at the Superbowl. Black Girl Magic is real… and did we mention she’s a Gen Zer.
2. Peng means ‘hot, fit or good-looking’… #PengBlackGirls by ENNY and Jorja Smith is going viral.
3. Lady Gaga has Gen Z on a scavenger hunt to find her Chromatica-themed Oreos. Yes, you read that right!
4. A film is already in the making about Gamestop and its fall-out – a cultural reset!
5. Black Lives Matter has been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. It’s a yes from us!
talk to us, not about us.
Jawwad Mustafa is the Director of The Screenshot Newsletter. He’s always got a drink in hand - either peppermint tea, peach iced tea or a vanilla latte. If you see him with anything else, you’ll really need to vote for him as The Imposter. You can find his creativity on Instagram at @JawwadTheCreator.