October marks Black History Month, an annual occurrence to celebrate the achievements of Black people, remember key events and a time of bringing people together.
“For decades, creativity has been a liberating and celebratory tool in the Black community,” says Shannon Walker, director and founder of creative agency Social Disruption. “From helping to express heritage and identity, increase unity, add light in difficult times as well as help amplify diverse voices and stories that show the many facets of the Black Diaspora.
“The power of creativity has only become stronger in this digital age as content creators have taken to social platforms to share their lives and talent. It’s an honour to work closely with networks such as Black British Bloggers and changemakers such as Mia Maugé, who passionately use their platforms to champion better representation and support brands in achieving this throughout the year.
“It’s a transformative and positive time, as there’s increased consciousness around dismantling injustice resulting in talent being better credited, valued, economically empowered, included and celebrated - I’m excited to see this continue this Black History Month and beyond,” she says.
Below, Walker has rounded up some influential and inspirational individuals in the Black community to follow now and support forever.
David-King Fadd @david_fadd
Follow for: style inspo and body positivity
David Fadd is an inspiring plus-size model known for his impeccable style. He is on a mission to encourage body positivity, self-love and confidence among men. Join the 75k community he’s wracked up on Instagram and TikTok following his journey as he takes up space as a fresh representation and voice in the fashion and modelling world.
Hermon & Heroda @being__her
Follow for: inspiration to live your dream and learn more about the deaf community
Hermon and Heroda are the inspiring twins behind the blog and Instagram account “Being Her” - a platform they’ve used to share their passions and life experience as two Black female deaf creators. The stylish duo are positive examples of embracing their hearing loss whilst living out their dreams of travelling, creating content and speaking out to champion better representation for the deaf community. Follow their remarkable journey and enjoythe chance to learn BSL from their educational videos.
Mia Maugé @miamauge
Follow for: all things celebrating ageing and body positivity
Inspiring, disruptive, and passionate about driving positive change, gen X model and body positivity advocate Mia is on a mission to disrupt the youth-obsessed beauty industry. Her pro-ageing mission is to create an authentic silver space for the next generation. Her content resonates with multiple generations and will no doubt leave you feeling uplifted.
Dope Black Dads @dopeblackdads
Follow for: dad content you’ll laugh and learn from
Founded by Marvyn New Harrison @marvynharrison (pictured), Dope Black Dads is a digital safe space for fathers who wish to discuss their experiences of being Black, a parent and masculinity in the modern world. They share hilarious and relatable content about being a dad on Instagram, as well as cover thought-provoking and life discussions on their podcast.
Candice Brathwaite @candicebrathwaite
Follow for: inspiring style and motherhood content
Candice Brathwaite is an author, journalist, TV presenter, and founder of the Make Motherhood Diverse community (@makemotherhooddiverse) an online initiative that aims to ensure many more people see themselves reflected online. Follow Candice for her stunning style, inspiring (and often humourous) conversations, and bold beauty looks.
Jay-Ann Lopez @jayannlopez_
Follow for: gaming, beauty and style inspo
Jay-Ann is the CEO and Founder of Black Girl Gamers, an online safe space and platform that heightens the visibility of Black women in gaming and advocates for diversity and inclusion. In addition, Jay-Ann is co-founder of Curlture @curltureuk - an empowering platform celebrating natural hair and self-love.
Ehiz @ehizufuah
Follow for: uplifting, lighthearted comedy
Ehiz has become one of Britain’s top TikTok stars, follow his account @_ehiz which has racked up 13 million followers. He posts comedy, drama sketches, reactions, and dance videos and his creative talents have seen him featured in shows for both YouTube and the BBC. Get lost in his comical short edits to keep you entertained this month.
Adeola Gboyega @adeolagboyega
Follow for: all things beauty and skincare
A professional make-up artist and beauty expert with over 10 years of industry experience. Gboyega has built a loyal following of glow-getters due to her educational, skin-first approach to make-up, highlighting the importance of investing in great skincare to achieve make-up-ready skin. Follow for engaging online tutorials and tips on how to get her signature glow.
Abena @travellingtuesdays
Follow for: ultimate travel inspo
Abena is a Gen Z travel creator using her Instagram and Tiktok to share her travel stories who encourages other young travellers to swap a life of hustle and leap into a world of affordable adventure. She shares her travel hacks and keeps it real about her experiences on her beautifully-curated feed.
Keshia Sakarah founder of @caribe_uk
Follow for: your foodie fix
Keshia Sakarahis a self-taught chef and lover of food and culture. To celebrate the diverse culinary landscape of her Caribbean heritage, she launched Caribe @caribe_uk to showcase Caribbean food in the UK and celebrate the region’s nuances. Keshia entertains Instagram followers by sharing tutorials of delightful dishes shared on Caribe’s YouTube Cooking channel and snippets from her highly anticipated supper clubs. Enjoy an alternative side of Caribbean cooking from London’s fastest-rising foodie stars and look out for her upcoming cookbook to bring a taste of Caribé flavour to your home.
