Dear friend,
Black brilliance, Black joy, and Black life should be protected at all costs, all year round ! Unfortunately, Twitch—like many other corporations—has resorted to performative Black History Month activism. Their BHM “initiatives” attempt to uplift Black talent, while they refuse to protect Black creators from experiencing real harm on their platform.1 Black Twitch creators are still being hate-raided, doxxed, and harassed. Even after almost 20,000 people signed a petition in support of protective measures for Black creators, speaking directly with those affected, and Color of Change urging them to take swift action, Twitch has refused to :
- Meet Black creator demands
- Be transparent about the steps they are taking to improve safety, or
- Share their metrics for success.2
Black creators deserve to be on Twitch’s front page AND they deserve to know they are being protected by the same platform they earn revenue for !
SIGN OUR OPEN LETTER: BLACK HISTORY MONTH ISN'T A GIMMICK, IT'S A CALL TO ACTION. #TWITCHDOBETTER
This is not the first time ! Twitch is known for its performative activism. This time last year, Twitch spotlighted more than 30 Black creators in a Black Brilliance section on its front page. However, this heightened visibility was short-lived and resulted in a wave of anti-Black harassment against those featured.3 Many Black creators were berated with racial slurs by automated bots (“hate raided”), dealt with backlash from users who complained that they were being given handouts, and were not spotlighted again until Black History Month rolled around this year. Black creators should not have to sacrifice their safety for exposure or opportunities.
Aside from phone and email verification updates to their protocols, which were implemented in direct response to pressure from Color Of Change, Twitch has refused to make a significant investment in the safety and protection of Black creators. Instead, Twitch has sat idle as racist users continue to target, harass and abuse Black creators (and their audiences). And aside from these Black History Month initiatives, Twitch has done very little to boost the discoverability of Black creators or establish equal access to its official partnership program throughout the year. Instead, Twitch has denied Black creators Partner status–which allows streamers to monetize their following, secure brand sponsorships, and even receive priority support in the event of hate raids or issues on the platform.4
Friend, we are sick and tired of corporations using Black History Month to tell us how they appreciate and value Black people, we need them to show us ! And that starts with greater transparency, tangible safety measures, and a partnership with the Black creators who make the platform worthwhile.
Until justice is real,
The Color Of Change Team.
References :
- “Tune In and Celebrate Black Creators All Month Long,” Twitch, February 1, 2022,
- https://act.colorofchange.org/go/348475?t=8&akid=52978%2E1942551%2EHwbMMW.
- KandidlyKayla, “Twitch Must Protect Black Creators from ‘Hate Raids’ and Online Harassment ! #TwitchDoBetter,” OrganizeFor, August 17, 2021,
- “Twitch Partner Program,” Twitch, (n.d.),
- https://act.colorofchange.org/go/348476?t=10&akid=52978%2E1942551%2EHwbMMW; “Get Accepted to Twitch’s Partner Program by Following These Steps,” Beacons, October 21, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/348477?t=12&akid=52978%2E1942551%2EHwbMMW
- “Celebrate Black Brilliance on Twitch,” Twitch, February 1, 2021, https://act.colorofchange.org/go/348478?t=14&akid=52978%2E1942551%2EHwbMMW.
Color Of Change is building a movement to elevate the voices of Black folks and our allies, and win real social and political change. Please help keep our movement strong.
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