Aaron P

Let’s also talk about power for a second…because I think a lot of Black creators are underestimating it. The Black community has over a trillion dollars in spending power, and that influence travels far beyond our own spaces, so brands are not doing us a favor with a free trip or an invite…they’re making a strategic investment. They need access to our audience, our culture, and our influence just as much as creators want opportunities. That’s why this rush to defend a corporation feels off to me…because it reads like we think access can be taken away at any moment, when in reality our value is the reason we’re in the room in the first place. You can disagree with someone’s experience without positioning yourself as the brand’s defense team…especially when the real leverage has always been with us.