Black Tik Tok Dance Creators' Strike (August 2021 Update) YouTube Vlog Title: A Brief History Of Stolen Black Tik Tok Dances

Taylor Cassidy, July 12, 2021

 Now... y'all know this ain't new right? People stealing art from POC and placing a more "commercial" face on it has been done from thee beginning. And I'm here to tell you about it. Moreover, Ima help yall understand how that history fits into the Black TikTok Strike happening on TikTok. So sit down, reminisce your favorite popular dance from the app and let me tell you some history (and my opinion ofc).

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Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I of a two part pancocojams series that provides an update and comments about  the Black dance creators' Tik Tok strike that began in June 2021.

This post showcases one YouTube vlog on this subject as well as selected comments from the discussion threads for that video.

Part II showcases a second YouTube vlog on the Black Tik Tok Dance Creator's strike and provides comments about that strike.  

The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all the Black Tik Tok dance creators who are named and unnamed in these comments. Thanks to the vlogger whose video is showcased in this post and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/07/black-tik-tok-dance-creators-on-strike.html for the July 2021 pancocojams article entitled "Black Tik Tok Dance Creators On Strike Since June 19, 2021 Demanding Credit For Their Work (article excerpts)".

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE

I haven't found much information about the Black Tik Tok dance creators strike. However, the comments about this strike on discussion threads for the two showcased YouTube vlogs about this subject suggest that the strike is still going on as of early August 2021.

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ARTICLE EXCERPT
From https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57841055 "Why black TikTok creators have gone on strike" By Cache McClay, June 15, 2021
"Black creators on TikTok are refusing to choreograph new dances and calling out what they see as a new form of cultural appropriation on the app.

Rapper Megan Thee Stallion's latest song 'Thot Sh-t' was supposed to be a TikTok hit. Her previous single 'Savage' had more than 22 million hits on the app. 'WAP' generated 4m and there were 1.5m for 'Body'.

But this time a social media strike staged by black creators on the viral-video-making platform has prevented her new single from taking off. Black creators have refused to make a dance for the song and instead mounted a digital walk-out.

Since June, the hashtag BlackTikTokStrike has been viewed more than 6.5m times on the app and has since been trending on social media platforms like Twitter. Black users are using the hashtag to voice their objections to what they say is preferential treatment.

Black creators say non-black influencers use their work, reaping the financial and personal gains earned from views, but fail to acknowledge or give credit to originators.

"Even in the spaces we've managed to create for ourselves, [non-black] people violently infiltrate and occupy these spaces with no respect to the architects who built it," Erick Louis, a black TikTok creator who helped organise the strike, told the Washington Post.

"This app would be nothing without [black] people," Mr Louis, 21, wrote in a widely shared TikTok video."...
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*This word is fully spelled out in that article.

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SELECTED COMMENTS (From the discussion thread for this video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIYxZTHwDVY&ab_channel=TaylorCassidy

(Numbers added for referencing purposes only.)

1. Blue Rose., August 1, 2021

"I'm just discovering about the strike now, but a lot of content on this was from 2 weeks ago. Please tell me that the black creators are still on strike, I'm routing for you guys."

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2. The Wisemen In Real Life, August 1, 2021
"I totally agree. I like your analysis of the Black 🖤  TikTok creators strike. You definitely have done your homework.👍👍"

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3. Lish, August 1, 2021
"Time to create their own platform. These big platforms would fold if they took they talents elsewhere. Stop making these people rich."

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4. Lee Perryman, August 1, 2021

"Young lady, you are WOKE!!! at 68 years of age I remember RICKIE NELSON, and many other white ROCK-N-ROLLERS getting rich off you know who"

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5. TonyBerr23, August 1, 2021
"This is also a similar problem in the gaming community. We used to get talked about bad for using slang now all the top content creators say sh-t* like “bet” “it’s lit” “vibing ” “bussin”

It’s super cringe and needs to stop"
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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6. jamesway, August 1, 2021
"Why dont you guys just create your dance and COPYRIGHT it first then release it, dont treat this like a hobby this is business. When they come to steal your content then they have hell to pay."

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7. Oshun Cornelius-Ojoh, August 1, 2021
"I really enjoyed this video. It’s important for us older folks who don’t do TikTok to fully understand what’s happening. We know that in our generation, whites stole music routinely and then when history was written, they called themselves the innovators and creators of said music. Country, Blues, Rock and Roll, etc. In fact, historically, remember that Black people were banned from owning patents, so white men patented MILLIONS of Black inventions in their own names. And when we won the right to patent, we became millionaires so often that states then reinstated laws banning us from patenting because we outperformed whites to such a degree.

I digress. Sort of.

My point is that this has been happening literally since we encounter white people. I think the lesson to be learned here is that we have to own our own media. Period. We should not be carrying platforms like TikTok.

And in conclusion, I’m the words of Mos Def, “Elvis Presley/Kenny G ain’t got no soul…Little Richard/John Coltrane is Rock and Roll!”

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8. bartman2000, August 1, 2021
"Evey time Little Richard looked around, Pat Boone was singing his music.  Stole millions of dollars from Little Richard until young white's wanted to hear from the original artist. They look to us for trends and culture."

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9. Nita McKeethen, August 1, 2021
"Great reporting, baby girl. So proud of you. Cultural appropriation is nothing new, of course, but it continually needs to be called out. Thank you for doing this."

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10. Galaxylover, August 1, 2021
"That's y'all fault keep giving away the drip... Fortnite is the worst... They actually selling the dance moves 🤦🏾‍♂"

*️*
11. justjakefornow, August 1, 2021
"Worst part is, after the original creator was discovered and advertised, they still didn't get the amount of money and popularity of these other tik tokers. And what I learned is that a lot of those millions of followers are kids who don't know better, and BIPOC kids who are experiencing forms of body dysmorhpia from their own skin color. It's a terrible cycle."

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12. Van Morrison. August 1, 2021
"Sister that why they call culture bandits."

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13. Belinda Wisebey, August 1, 2021
"I told my kids a while back to stop using TikTok they have ulterior motives.....we have to learn to stop supporting organizations and platforms that are disrespectful and disregard our creators. Want to stop it....stop using TikTok."

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14. Create Not Destroy, August 2, 2021
"But thus has been happing for hundreds of years. Tick Tock is just a tiny drop in the ocean of white theft"

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15. Notes Smith,August 2, 2021
"This is ÀMERICA, pay attention. Your just getting a dose at

a young age. This is what they do in EVERYTHING!

When someone shows

you who they are

Believe them! "Maya Angelou"

PS I'M like your

grand father....67

PEACE, LOVE and POWER!"

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16. D Glorious, August 2, 2021

"It goes all the way to that lil Blk boy who started that

'Flossing' dance. They gave all the credit to the 'bookbag' boy and his mother

who went on many TV shows and made lots of money off of something they took and

did not create."

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17. tenleesmaindancer, August 3, 2021
"And the sad part is Jalaiah got hate for wanting “clout”. All she wanted was her dance to be credited. It’s shouldn’t have been these white creators, not even creators cause they create sh-t*, it should’ve been her"
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*This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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17. Sans Equanimity, August 3, 2021
"Thank you for this video. I'm not a tiktok user but I'd seen the strike mentioned on Twitter. This was an excellent explanation & analyses of the situation. Looking forward to checking out more of your content ♡"

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18. Starla Moon, Augus 3, 2021
"I'm new to TikTok and have yet to make my own. I wondered where those dances came from. It bugs me people aren't getting credit when their work is copied. It's a huge problem on every platform,  unfortunately.  And yes, it's  messed up how many things we've taken from other cultures and passed it off as ours. I just learned about The Lion Sleeps Tonight song's origins. Damn. I never knew that."
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Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/09/south-african-isicathamiya-music.htmlfor a 1939 sound file of the song "Mbube" by South African singers Soloman Linda And The Evening Birds. That song became "The Lion Sleeps Tonight". 

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19. MrGrizzWY, August 3, 2021
"Watered down black art ie Elvis"

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20. Kryptonic 010, August 3, 2021
"Well, on one account you are correct, intellectual rights have been stolen and monetized by races other than ourselves for more than one hundred years, however logically you cannot blame TicTok for the short coming's which you have noted.

Why?  Because like most people who sign up for Internet services upon sign up 99.9% of people just click click click without reading the terms of service which includes the End User License Agreement (EULA).  The key word is READ!

Once you click "I Accept" you are accepting all terms and policies set forth in the contract for using their services so by doing all of this emotional ranting instead of using logic personally I would be embarrassed and quite ashamed of posting this type of video.  It makes you look unintelligent.

For reference I went over to the TikTok sight to verify my conclusion before posting this and I Quote as stated:

" 7. Content.

TikTok Content

As between you and TikTok, ALL content, software, images, text, graphics, illustrations, logos, patents, trademarks, service marks, copyrights, photographs, audio, VIDEOS, music on and “look and feel” of the Services, and all intellectual property rights related thereto (the “TikTok Content”), ARE EITHER OWNED OR LICENSED BY TikTok, it being understood that you or your licensors will own any User Content (as defined below) you upload or transmit through the Services.

Moreover ...

You acknowledge and agree that we may generate revenues, increase goodwill or otherwise increase our value from your use of the Services, including, by way of example and not limitation, through the sale of advertising, sponsorships, promotions, usage data and Gifts (defined below), and except as specifically permitted by us in these Terms or in another agreement you enter into with us, you will have no right to share in any such revenue, goodwill or value whatsoever. You further acknowledge that, except as specifically permitted by us in these Terms or in another agreement you enter into with us, YOU (i) HAVE NO RIGHT to receive any INCOME or other CONSIDERATION from any User Content (defined below) or your use of any musical works, sound recordings or audiovisual clips made available to you on or through the Services, including in ANY USER CONTENT CREATED BY YOU, and (ii) are prohibited from exercising any rights to monetize or obtain consideration from any User Content within the Services or on any third party service ( e.g. , you cannot claim User Content that has been uploaded to a social media platform such as YouTube for monetization)."

https://www.tiktok.com/legal/terms-of-service?lang=en#terms-us

 So before going on an emotional landslide next time please do your research and think critically before signing up for any service.  If you do not like the terms of service for a particular site, don't sign up.

For all y'all creators out there you may want to investigate copyright and trademarks for your intellectual property rights before posting your works for the world to see.

Lastly, know your history so that you do not fall into the same traps our ancestors did.

THINK, THINK, IT AIN'T ILLEGAL YET!

"Lunchmeatophobia (Think!...It Ain't Illegal Yet!)"  1978

Funkadelic

Peace Out ..."

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21 Romance Jones, August 3, 2021
"Preach little sister, preach on."

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22. The Mighty Quin. August 4, 2021
"White people are always “creating”,“discovering”, “founding” and “inventing” places and things that have already been created, discovered, found and invented, then act confused like they don’t know what happened 🤦🏽‍♀"

*️*
23. TakenBack, August 5, 2021
"Funny story, I moved middle of my junior year of high school and went to the school that the movie was about. Yes... I was a Toro for a year and a half. That was a very long time ago though.

But I agree, creators/artist need to be given credit.

If you're gonna make a video and do the cabbage patch or running man, No biggie. But if you're taking a new, up & coming or current creator's/artists unique orginal dance and creating a video. Whether that video was just for fun or if your videos are monetized. The creature should be credited and sited via link. If you change that original dance (because you can't do it as well or for any reason).  You should still credit and site. Your description should explain that your video/dance was inspired by "name of dance" & "name of choreographer."

As far as who makes money on what. That will probably be tricky situation. Unless they allow some type of copy right on dance, like there is on music.

Loved your video! Keep doing what you do. Great stuff!"
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The "Toro" comment refers to the name of one of the majority White cheerleading squad in the 2000 cheerleader movie Bring It On .  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bring_It_On_(film). The new captain of that squad learns that the former captain stole their routine from the majority Black "Clovers" cheerleading squad.

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