YouTube founds $100m black voices fund

Protestors in Minneapolis following the death of George Floyd
(Photo: Fibonacci Blue via CC)

YouTube has launched a US$100m content fund dedicated to amplifying black voices on the platform.

The first project to come out of the fund is Bear Witness, Take Action, a 90-minute conversation on racial justice hosted by rapper Common and actress Keke Palmer, featuring YouTube creators, artists, influential public figures and prominent activist voices.

Panels on the show, which premieres tomorrow, feature Roxane Gay, Jemele Hill and Soledad O’Brien, while there will be musical performances from John Legend and Trey Songz.

Susanne Daniels

YouTube creators Ambers Closet, Jouelzy and Prince EA will also feature and there will be appearances from Carmelo Anthony, Sterling K Brown and Bryan Stevenson.

Bear Witness, Take Action is produced by SpringHill Entertainment, Fly on the Wall and Byron Phillips. Reginald Hudlin is exec producer and showrunner.

“I support the Black Lives Matter movement and I think it’s imperative that we help amplify black voices and continue the conversation about meaningful change and racial justice,” said Susanne Daniels, global head of original content for YouTube.

“YouTube has a unique ability to unite creators, artists and powerful voices within the black community to encourage the world to stand up and speak out for racial justice.”

YouTube is just the latest in a string of content companies to dedicate funds and programming to the Black Lives Matters campaign following the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis last month.

ViacomCBS, BET, Channel 4, PBS and Discovery have all put on special programming while JJ Abrams, Disney and Sky have pledged money to the cause.

Police obs docs Cops and Live PD have been cancelled and classic comedies featuring supposedly racist lines or sketches have been pulled from streaming services.

Malika Saada Saar, YouTube’s social impact human rights lead, added: “The execution of George Floyd – and Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery – has led to unprecedented protests for racial justice in every part of our nation and globally. And it started in part because 17-year-old Darnella Frazier defiantly and courageously recorded the video that has forced us all to confront what we were seeing and name it.

“Video can be a powerful human rights tool, for bearing witness to injustice and Bear Witness, Take Action will be part of that hope and urgent call for change.”