As well as ringing in the start of a new season, October marks the start of Black History month here in the UK.
To celebrate the first day of the UK’s national Black History Month, Share the Mic UK has kicked off the proceedings with an extraordinary line-up of talented Black women. “With a combined Instagram audience of over 175 million, more than 70 accomplished women join forces today to magnify Black Women’s work, lives and achievements.” Share the Mic is an initiative that amplifies the talents and voices of Black women through the platform of Instagram. To avoid what is known as an ‘echo-chamber’, this day of platform-sharing aims to shine a light on the work and successes of Black women who have not yet got the audience that they deserve. A group of 70 non-Black women, ranging from British favourites Alexa Chung and Bella Mackie, to US megastars Gwyneth Paltrow and Kourtney Kardashian, will be relinquishing control of their Insta accounts today.
The campaign, inspired by a similar initiative in the US earlier this year, is led by Vanessa Kingori and Stephanie Phair, publishing director at Vogue and chair of the British Fashion Council, respectively. Following a year of devastating acts of racism around the world, the campaign aims to magnify the voices of these talented and gifted Black women. The partnerships that have been curated are nothing short of spectacular…Bernardine Evaristo and Christiane Amanpour – Iconic no? We have picked a few of the partnerships to highlight today, but head over to the @sharethemicuk page to peruse all of the fantastic content that will be no doubt filling your screens today.
Poppy Okotcha
Poppy Okotcha is taking over the account of food writer Skye McAlpine. Poppy is, in her own words, “a regenerative grower, forager and a proponent of system change over climate change.” Her works ranges vastly, from advocating for regenerative growing practices and personally growing food and plants that support both the planet and people. She is quite simply, a natural ray of sunshine. Encouraging us to connect with nature on a deeper level than we would usually consider and opening the conversation about growing and foraging to those who feel underrepresented in the realms of growth and sustainability. Her takeover on Skye’s channel has already been joyous as she has given a tour of her fruitful garden in Devon and made a microgreens video tutorial which is live on the grid.
Follow @poppyokotcha and @skyemcalpine.
Nicole Crentsil
Nicole Crentsil is a cultural curator, creative consultant and entrepreneur. She is also the CEO of Black Girl Festival and the founder of a new, upcoming platform called Big Sis. As well as this multitude of innovation, she is also just super cool and uplifting on Instagram. Today you can find Nicole taking over the lovely Fearne Cotton’s Instagram page. She speaks openly and honestly about her experience with racism whilst growing up and how she has had to carve out her own path within the creative industry. Enter Black Girl Fest! A community that empowers young Black women and gives them a space within the creative field. Last year the festival hosted over 3000 people, and next year they are aiming for even more. With talks, workshops, public speaking, and poetry readings, this event creates an inclusive space for many who might else feel marginalised.
Follow @nkrystal_ and @fearnecotton.
Liv Little
Liv Little is the epitome of the multihyphenate: author-journalist-cultural consultant- curator-host-broadcaster and founder of gal-dem. gal-dem is an award-winning media company that champions the creative works of women and non-binary people of colour. She tells us on Laura Brown’s story today that “we know that here in the UK, the journalism industry is 94% white and 55% male, which is why it’s so important that a space like gal-dem exists to redress that balance and provide a space for joy as well as holding truth to power.” Spotlighting projects and brands from the gal-dem community is one its main intentions, and so the Share the Mic initiative fits seamlessly here.
Follow @livslittle and @laurabrown99.
To explore this empowering platform further and find out who else is taking part, head to Share The Mic UK here to enjoy all of the wonderful content that is being shared and championed today.
