Black TikTokers go on STRIKE and refuse to create viral dances as white ...

Black TikTokers go on STRIKE and refuse to create viral dances as white ...
Black TikTokers go on STRIKE and refuse to create viral dances as white ...

Black TikTokers have gone on strike and are refusing to create viral dances because they say white creators don't credit them and become overnight stars with the stolen moves. 

The no-dance strike erupted when Megan Thee Stallion released her new song 'Thot S**t' on June 11 - something that would typically lead to the creation of a viral dance circulating on the social media app as happened with her last song 'WAP' with Cardi B.  

By Tuesday morning - almost one month on from the song's release - there were around 487,000 videos on TikTok set to the song but no dance trend has yet emerged. 

TikTok is known for its viral dance crazes, which black creators say are often choreographed by them before the trend is picked up by white creators.

Several black creators say the white creators then fail to credit them for their work and benefit from copying them - sometimes even taking the credit for its creation.  

Black TikTokers have gone on strike and are refusing to create viral dances because they say white creators don't credit them and become overnight stars with the stolen moves. The no-dance strike erupted when Megan Thee Stallion (pictured) released her new song 'Thot S**t'

Black TikTokers have gone on strike and are refusing to create viral dances because they say white creators don't credit them and become overnight stars with the stolen moves. The no-dance strike erupted when Megan Thee Stallion (pictured) released her new song 'Thot S**t'

Erick Louis, a 21-year-old black TikTok star, posted a video on June 17 appearing to initiate the boycott. 

The video has 'Thot S**t' playing in the background, with the caption: 'If y'all do the dance pls tag me, it's my first dance on Tik tok and I don't need nobody stealing/not crediting.'

Louis starts moving to the music with the words 'MADE A DANCE TO THIS SONG' above his head.

But, instead of breaking into dance, Louis flipped the bird at the camera while the words above him changed to: 'SIKE. THIS APP WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT BLACK PEOPLE.'

The video, which had more than 132,000 likes as of Tuesday morning, marked the beginning of the strike.     

Louis slammed what he described as 'digital colonizing' and 'exploitation of labor' of black TikTok creators and said the strike could go on indefinitely. 

'We make the trends... and when we remove ourselves from the equation... it's nothing left but mediocrity,' he told the LA Times

'I can't tell you how long it's going to last, but I do want to say that I think this is an indicator of how frustrated the black community is. I feel like this isn't the last time something like this will happen.'

Louis said it is part of a bigger issue of 'anti-blackness' on TikTok and that the platform needs to show its black creators it values their content.

Erick Louis, a 21-year-old black TikTok star, posted a video on June 17 appearing to initiate the boycott. The video has 'Thot S**t' playing in the background, with the words 'MADE A DANCE TO THIS SONG' above his head

Erick Louis, a 21-year-old black TikTok star, posted a video on June 17 appearing to initiate the boycott. The video has 'Thot S**t' playing in the background, with the words 'MADE A DANCE TO THIS SONG' above his head

But, instead of breaking into dance, Louis flipped the bird at the camera while the words above him changed to: 'SIKE. THIS APP WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT BLACK PEOPLE'

But, instead of breaking into dance, Louis flipped the bird at the camera while the words above him changed to: 'SIKE. THIS APP WOULD BE NOTHING WITHOUT BLACK PEOPLE'

'I know for me personally, this is a much wider issue outside of this digital colonizing. TikTok has a really big issue with just black leaders and anti-blackness,' he said.

'What's kind of flown over people's heads is this issue concerning the exploitation of labor on the app.'  

TikTok star Challan T., who has more than 4 million followers, said usually there would be a viral dance 'within the hour' when Megan Thee Stallion released a song.

'I was scrolling and noticed that everyone was flailing their arms under the sound,' she added. 

She tweeted her support of the strike, writing: 'Not Black TikTok on strike from making dances PLEASE LMFAOOOO.

'Not Black TikTok on strike from making dances PLEASE LMFAOOOO.' 

She told the Times there have been several occasions where she hasn't been credited for her work, which she believes comes down to 'racism'. 

'People just don't want to give black people credit for the things that we make,' she said.

'Because there's a lot of times where a white creator will make a dance, and I'll see that credit in the caption every time. 

TikTok star Challan T. said there have been several occasions where she hasn't been credited for her work

TikTok star Challan T. said there have been several occasions where she hasn't been credited for her work

Challan, who has more than 4 million followers, tweeted her support of the strike

Challan, who has more than 4 million followers, tweeted her support of the strike

'If it's a black person, it's

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