YouTube has unveiled a $100 million multi-year fund dedicated to amplifying the voices of black creators and artists on its platform as part of a pledge to spotlight their stories.
CEO Susan Wojcicki announced the company's new initiative in an official statement yesterday. "One example of the type of content we’d like to elevate on the platform will premiere this Saturday, June 13," she wrote. "We’ll host a live stream fundraising event produced by YouTube Originals (YTO), 'Bear Witness, Take Action.' The YTO will bring together creators, artists, influential public figures, and prominent activist voices for roundtable discussions and musical performances, with donations benefiting the Equal Justice Initiative."
Through June, YouTube's Spotlight channel will highlight racial justice issues, including the latest viewpoints from the black community on YouTube alongside historical content, educational videos, and protest coverage
Crucially, YouTube has also pledged to continue to protect diverse communities including black creators and artists from hate and harassment across the platform. As an indication, last quarter alone they removed over 100,000 videos and 100 million comments for hate and harassment. Wojcicki said that the platform "will work to ensure Black users, artists, and creators can share their stories and be protected from hateful, white supremacist and bullying content.”
Read the full statement here.
