October was Black History Month in the UK. But looking at Twitch, you may not have realised that.
The streaming platform is pushing for more diversity and inclusion, and is making a conscious effort to support minority celebrations – be that Pride, women’s history, or Black History Month. But as a US corporation, too often UK streamers are left behind.
Thankfully there’s Black Twitch UK, a team of streamers who aren’t just visible for one month of the year, but support their community year-round.
Set up by GeekyCassie and Ebonix (Twitch’s first Black female ambassador in the UK), the team is for anyone who identifies as Black in the UK. It began as a Twitter community before becoming the first Black focused UK-based stream team on Twitch last month. There are already 26 streamers on the team, and an ever-growing number of Black creators on Twitter.
“We were really frustrated that we couldn’t find any Black streamers from the UK, no one that looks like us,” says Ebonix. “Where is everyone? We know we’re out there, but where are we?”
We are EXCEPTIONALLY proud to announce the launch of the @BlackTwitchUK Twitch Team! This is the first Black focused UK-based @TwitchUKI Stream Team, which aims to highlight and promote amazing black streamers all across the UK!
Check them out here 🎉✨: https://t.co/1xItHDzhnU pic.twitter.com/4cXIQdxlgf
— Black Twitch UK (@BlackTwitchUK) October 1, 2021
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Creating a team, then, presented an opportunity to increase visibility of Black UK streamers, provide a support base, and share opportunities. It’s a resource for streamers to find each other, viewers to find representation, and brands to find streamers to work with.
“It just hits a little bit different when you go into a stream, especially someone who’s from the UK, they look like you and you can talk about things that are from the UK,” says Ebonix.
“Being Black, being a woman, and then also being from the UK, those are three different things. And all three of those need their own kind of support systems,” says GeekyCassie.
“I think because Black creators aren’t seeing anyone else like them, then it just kind of pushes them to the side and makes them feel like others. It’s really disheartening.”
The team is rapidly becoming a vital resource and safe space for Black streamers to support and encourage one another, sharing tools and utilising each other’s skills. “The more you see us, it’s gonna feel like normal,” says Ebonix. “We want to be able to feel like it’s normal to see Black faces, brown faces on the front page, in activations, doing work on these big brands.”
Black History Month should have been a key milestone to celebrate Black streamers. But, in Ebonix’s words, “it just didn’t bang”.
Taking place in October, Black History Month UK is separate to the US equivalent in February. And that’s an important distinction, because the history is different across the two countries.
“We all have our different things to celebrate, we have different vibes, different energies,” says Ebonix.
For instance, the team put together Twitch Hill Carnival, referencing Notting Hill Carnival, as a way to celebrate what it means to be Black and Caribbean or Black African in the UK. It was also an opportunity to educate US streamers about UK history.