Youtube has announced a $100 million fund to support and amplify the work of Black YouTube creators from African countries including Nigeria, Kenya and South Africa.
The fund, called the “Black Voices Fund”, will be used for original programming and ensuring Black creators thrive on the social media platform.
“Our goal is to expand funding to more countries over the course of the next three years, said Alex Okosi, Managing Director of Emerging Markets at YouTube. “Additionally, we hope to provide a consistent drumbeat of educational training, workshops, and community events to Black creators and artists globally.
Okosi said along with the platform’s commitment to amplify marginalised voices on the content side, Youtbe will also invest in product and policy changes “that will continue to advance YouTube’s mission of giving everyone a voice and showing them the world.”
Since various lockdowns were enforced across the world as a result of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the entertainment and creative industries have been hardest hit, with artists and creatives attempting to find new ways of making money and staying afloat in the absence of live performances and gigs.