The fight against racism has been going on for decades, but the Black Lives Matter movement has again brought it to the forefront. Social media is flooded with posts intended to spread awareness about and stop the injustice being done to black people.
In light of this, we bring you a list of 23 of the most influential black people on social media. Some of them are celebrities, sports personalities, politicians, and writers, while some have made names for themselves using simply the power of social media. Moreover, these influencers are from different niches, so you can follow the ones from your areas of interest.
23 Black Social Media Influencers You Should Follow in 2022:
- 1. Barack Obama
- 2. LeBron James
- 3. Michelle Obama
- 4. Oprah Winfrey
- 5. Marques Brownlee
- 6. Beyoncé
- 7. Ava DuVernay
- 8. Serena Williams
- 9. Yara Shahidi
- 10. Shayla
- 11. Raye Boyce
- 12. Ellarie Noel
- 13. DeRay McKesson
- 14. Courtney Quinn
- 15. Allyson Felix
- 16. Asiyami Gold
- 17. Tracy Clayton
- 18. Jamie Broadnax
- 19. Angela Davis
- 20. Elyse Fox
- 21. John Henry
- 22. Robby Novak
- 23.Bunmi Laditan
- Conclusion
1. Barack Obama
Followers on Twitter - 132 million
Followers on Instagram - 35.3 million
Niche - Politics, Social Issues
Barack Obama was the 44th President of the United States and one of the most influential people of color worldwide. He uses social media to talk about political and social issues concerning people in the US and elsewhere.
I wrote out some thoughts on how to make this moment a real turning point to bring about real change––and pulled together some resources to help young activists sustain the momentum by channeling their energy into concrete action. https://t.co/jEczrOeFdv
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) June 1, 2020
2. LeBron James
Followers on Instagram - 123 million
Followers on Twitter - 51.4 million
Niche - Sports
He is a professional basketball player and one of the highest-paid NBA (National Basketball Association) players. This makes him one of the most popular sports and fitness influencers.
He mostly posts pictures from his games on his social media and occasionally endorses sports brands. He has also been vocal about supporting the fight against racism.
3. Michelle Obama
Followers on Instagram - 49.7 million
Followers on Twitter - 21.7 million
Niche - Politics, Social Issues
As a former First Lady of the US, she is probably the most influential woman of color in the world. She uses her social media influence to talk about social welfare and social issues not just in the US, but around the world.
4. Oprah Winfrey
Followers on Instagram - 21.1 million
Followers on Facebook - 20 million
Niche - Health and Wellness, Social Issues
She rose to fame by being a talk-show host, but has become a role model for women worldwide. She uses her social media to raise awareness about numerous social issues and is a big part of the fight against racism.
5. Marques Brownlee
Subscribers on YouTube - 15.7 million
Followers on Instagram - 3.7 million
Niche - Technology
Marques is known for his software tutorials and technological product reviews. He is often seen posting about mobile phones, cameras, accessories like earphones, and other gadgets.
6. Beyoncé
Subscribers on YouTube - 24.5 million
Followers on Instagram - 261 million
Niche - Media and Entertainment
Beyoncé is a celebrity singer, songwriter, and actress who has millions of followers across various social media platforms. She has substantial social media influence due to her massive fan following. She is not actively involved in any cause but has supported the ongoing fight against racism on social media.
7. Ava DuVernay
Followers on Twitter - 2.7 million
Followers on Instagram - 2.2 million
Niche - Film and Entertainment
Ava is a well-known film director and is known for her work in Selma, A Wrinkle in Time, etc. She uses her social media influence to talk about the issues that people of color face in their day-to-day lives.
8. Serena Williams
Followers on Instagram - 14.8 million
Followers on Twitter - 10.6 million
Niche - Sports
Serena is a popular American tennis player who has won 23 Grand Slam singles. She mostly posts about her daily life with her daughter but does some brand endorsements from time to time.
9. Yara Shahidi
Followers on Instagram - 7.2 million
Niche - Social Activism
She is an actress and a social activist who works with young adults to spread awareness on social issues. She is known for her role in the sitcom Black-ish and also featured in its spin-off series Grown-ish. She uses her social media influence to support causes like the Black Lives Matter movement and others that she relates to.
Source: instagram.com
10. Shayla
Followers on Instagram - 2.9 million
Subscribers on YouTube - 755K
Niche - Beauty
Shayla is a black social media influencer in the beauty niche. She is known for her makeup tutorials and pictures. She has launched two makeup collections with Colourpop Cosmetics and is often seen promoting them.
11. Raye Boyce
Subscribers on YouTube - 1.92 million
Followers on Instagram - 1.6 million
Niche - Beauty
Raye is a popular black beauty influencer known for her YouTube videos offering beauty and skincare tips. On Instagram, she usually posts pictures of herself and her daughter. She also endorses makeup, skincare, and haircare brands.
12. Ellarie Noel
Followers on Instagram - 1.1 million
Subscribers on YouTube - 629K
Niche - Beauty
Ellarie is mom blogger and beauty influencer with a massive fan following on Instagram. She is also quite active on YouTube. She mostly posts videos and pictures with her daughter, but also does brand endorsements for beauty brands.
13. DeRay McKesson
Followers on Twitter - 1 million
Followers on Instagram - 216K
Niche - Civil Rights Activism
He is an American podcaster, former school administrator, and a civil rights activist. He has been an active supporter of the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against racism.
We deserve a world where Black people are safe & we know that can’t happen until we move beyond policing.
There are a host of strategies to get us to abolition currently being pursued. I've never been more confident that we will get there. https://t.co/le2g7RQegA
— deray (@deray) June 5, 2020
14. Courtney Quinn
Followers on Instagram - 727K
Niche - Fashion (with a focus on colors)
Courtney is an Instagram influencer obsessed with colors. Her feed is filled with colorful pictures of her in different outfits and backgrounds. This makes her one of the most unique Instagram influencers.
15. Allyson Felix
Followers on Twitter - 754.2K
Followers on Instagram - 1.1 million
Niche - Sports
She is an Olympic runner who competes in short-distance races of up to 400 meters. She is a three-time world champion, two-time Olympic silver medal winner, and one-time Olympic champion. She uses her social media accounts to mainly to post about her daily life and workouts. She also endorses brands in the sports and fitness industry.
16. Asiyami Gold
Followers on Instagram - 310K
Niche - Travel and Photography
Asiyami is a travel influencer, visual storyteller, and creative director with a huge follower base on Instagram. She posts about her travels and is occasionally seen endorsing brands as well.
17. Tracy Clayton
Followers on Twitter - 166.2K
Followers on Instagram - 27.8K
Niche - Media & Entertainment
Tracy is an American writer, co-host of BuzzFeed podcast “Another Round,” and host of Netflix’s show, Strong Black Legends. She is known for her wit and sense of humor. She also supports the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against racism.
anyway. #BreonnaTaylor’s murderers are still employed, @lmpd flat out lied in their report, @kyoag is silent with the investigation updates and and @louisvillemayor gotta go. beyoncé has spoke & thats some smoke yall ought not want
— tracy the business goose (@brokeymcpoverty) June 15, 2020
18. Jamie Broadnax
Followers on Twitter - 163.7K
Followers on Instagram - 41.3K
Niche - Pop culture (for black women)
Jamie is the founder of the online community called, “Black Girl Nerds.” It is a community of black women who like nerdy stuff like comics, superheroes, etc. She also does podcasts and has a loyal fan base.
19. Angela Davis
Followers on Instagram - 178K
Niche - Food
Angela Davis, popularly known as “The Kitchenista,” is a popular Instagram food influencer. She posts about her cooking experiences and shares pictures and recipes of the food that she cooks.
20. Elyse Fox
Followers on Instagram (personal account) - 37K
Followers on Instagram (Sad Girls Club account) - 262K
Niche - Mental Health
Elyse Fox is a mental health advocate who created the online community, Sad Girls Club. She uses this channel to spread mental health awareness and provide help to people suffering from mental health problems.
21. John Henry
Followers on Instagram - 162K
Followers on Twitter - 24.7K
Niche - Business and Finance
John is an entrepreneur with a substantial influencer in the field of business and finance. He is the co-founder of Harlem Capital, a venture capital firm that invests in women entrepreneurs. He was featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.
22. Robby Novak
Followers on Twitter - 340.9K
Followers on Instagram - 252K
Niche - Humour
He uses motivational quotes and humor to inspire his audience. He has been featured in a YouTube video series by SoulPancake and is also a TED speaker.
Thank you to all who have supported the new book, The Circles All Around Us! I hope this little book can spark big love. Thank you for being you! - Bradhttps://t.co/9W5lxdh4oH pic.twitter.com/7EjKq5R6gi
— Kid President (@iamkidpresident) May 24, 2021
23.Bunmi Laditan
Followers on Twitter - 242.2K
Followers on Instagram - 42.7K
Niche - Parenting
She is a writer who rose to fame after writing the book, “The Honest Toddler: A Child's Guide to Life.” She has written several books on parenting and regularly contributes to parenting websites. She supports the fight against racism and posts informative content on social media to spread awareness about the injustice done to the black community.
A study showed 50% of medical students didn’t think black people felt pain the same as white people. This is why medical procedures, hospitals, and dentist’s offices are especially terrifying for us. https://t.co/wDll4qNcYd
— Bunmi Laditan (@HonestToddler) June 12, 2020
Conclusion
These are some of the most popular blacks social media influencers that you should know about. They belong to different industries and are active on different social media platforms. So, follow the ones that you can relate to and stay updated.
Many of these influencers collaborate with brands and often endorse products in their respective niches. If you’re looking for collaborations, then you can reach out to the ones that are most relevant to your brand and audience.
