Three Moments in 2017 when #BlackGirlMagic turned heads
- Timothy Ray
- Oct 10, 2017
- 4 min read
Black women are magical. And since I was raised by a Black woman, I got to witness this first hand. Resilience and perseverance is part of her super power. With the hashtag #BlackGirlMagic trending worldwide, it comes as no surprise that Black women’s influence is in the spotlight and under the microscope.
The Nielsen Company just released a fascinating study titled, “African-American Women: Our science, her magic." The in-depth report examines the essence of her behavior and its effect on marketers, advertisers and entertainment. From the top social media site, she likes to use (Facebook) to her preferred beverage of choice (refrigerated fruit juices), Nielsen studied all that and everything in between.
Her influence is undeniable. Which is why she has to be careful with her charm. It can be hypnotic and alluring like Beyonce, commanding and feisty like Nene Leakes or fearless and outspoken like ESPN's Jemele Hill, who was suspended from the network following her comments related to the NFL take a knee controversy. Hill's comments prompted President Donald Trump to diss her and ESPN on Twitter.
A Black woman's magic can effect change. Here’s three moments in 2017 where her influence made an impact.
Advertising Backlash - Shea Moisture and Dove
The appetite for the Black hair market is big and lucrative—especially the growing interest natural styles. Let’s start with the Shea Moisture ad controversy. Black women dragged the hair care company on social media after they saw its commercial, which featured a blonde, two red heads and a curly-haired woman (who was also fair skinned) discussing their hair challenges. Shea Moisture products were created and marketed originally toward women of color. Black women felt the brand turned its back on them. So they told their girlfriends and other sistahs on social media to boycott. Their voices were heard and Shea Moisture pulled the ad, replaced it and apologized. According to Nielsen, Black women are power houses on social media, spending more than five hours a day or more on their various accounts. Seventy-two percent of Black women use Facebook. Nielsen says social media is one platform Black women use to share and receive advice/reviews about products and services, more than their white and Hispanic counterparts.
Do you think companies and advertisers learned from this mess? Nope. Six months later and here we go with Dove, again. The brand – owned by Unilever -- is known for its soap, but is now getting hella attention for claims racism and whitewashing. The ad shows a black woman in a brown shirt and when she takes it off, she transforms into a white woman. WTH? What does this supposed to mean? Because what many folks saw was a message that seemed to say brown skin is dirty and white skin is clean. Whether that was intentional or not, the ad failed. And delivered a subtle message that was offensive to my mother, sister, niece and every Black and brown woman who used Dove soap. I put emphasis on “used” because history Black women will boycott them too.
Tamron Hall vs. Megyn Kelly
Black women watch more television than their white and Hispanic counterparts. More than 50 hours a week according to
Nielsen’s study. So when Tamron Hall, the first Black woman to co-host the Today Show, announced her abrupt departure, her sistahs took notice. They cried foul on social media. Hall’s top rated show during the 9 a.m. hour of Today was given to former Fox News Anchor, Megyn Kelly. This led to a scathing article from Whitney Gaspard in Essence. Industry professionals also considered the shakeup a form of “whitewashing,” according to the National Association of Black Journalists, which is currently led by Sarah Glover, an NBC News employee.
While it’s still too early to tell how Kelly’s ratings will fare over time, all is not lost with Tamron or her fans. Hall announced she will host her own daytime TV show in 2018. Don’t call it a comeback. Hall and all of her magic are here to stay. And we are here for it!
Congresswoman Maxine Waters - Queen of Shade
For Black millennials, the year belongs to Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Moving politics aside, we love her candor. So we have dubbed her Auntie Maxine, because she reminds us of that matriarch in our family who says whatever she wants and how she wants. Her frank thoughts and feelings about the current state of our country to some is both refreshing and hilarious. From her campaign to impeach 45, to her viral take down of US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin during a congressional hearing, Waters “Reclaiming My Time,” moment is an example of what the #BlackGirlMagic message means to so many women of color. An opportunity to show the world that their thoughts, expressions and worth matter.
In short, we need her.
I applaud Nielsen for taking notice of Black women in this study. Her marketability, influence, visibility and appearance are her unique potions. Her magic has always been around. And now it’s here to slay.