photo via variety.com
Representation of people of color (POC) in mass media has been slowly but surely increasing as we are able to watch TV shows such as Jane The Virgin, Black-ish and How To Get Away With Murder without chastising the lack of color within the cast. In another popular platform — Youtube — where one used to be able to count the amount of popular POC on one hand, the tables have turned as more and more have come to rise in the past 3 years. Here are three of my personal favorites, whose creativity has yet to stop impressing me.
1. Nathan Zed
In 2014, Nathan Zed gained popularity from his Youtube response video to Nash Grier’s now deleted video titled “What Guys Look For In Girls.” Since then, he has posted videos regarding race, gender, personal experiences, and memes. Zed is also a well-known personality on Twitter, where he often takes pride in his Ethiopian background and is no stranger to getting over ten thousand retweets or likes. All though he does not post videos regularly, when he does, the creativity and passion clearly shows through them.
2. Liza Koshy
Originating from Vine then migrating to Youtube, “The Little Brown Girl,” as she refers to herself, is half Indian and half White. Liza often makes quirky, satirical and pun-filled videos. Her target audience may be young teenagers but people of all ages can enjoy her entertaining personality. It’s truly difficult not to smile when watching one of her naturally-flowing skits.
3. MeechOnMars
At only 18, Demetrius Harmon has generated a large following from his humorous skits, poking fun at African and White American life. The majority of his videos are filled with light-heartedness but some do touch on serious topics, an example would be his recent short film Be Happy, about a “young man’s journey to be reunited with happiness while battling with depression.”
All three of these YouTubers play a big role in the empowerment of their respective races. They’re authentic, funny and spread an important message: to embrace your differences.Of course, there are way more POC YouTubers currently killing the game, but it’s now up to you to take the liberty to venture into the world of diverse media representation.
