YouTube has revealed the recipients of this year’s Black Voices Fund, with 11 Canadians among the 120-plus creators, artists and songwriters from throughout the world making up the Class of 2023, who will receive funding and dedicated support to grow their respective YouTube channels, as well as accessing exclusive workshops and mentorship opportunities.
Meet the Canadian YouTubers who’ve been chosen for the third annual Black Voices Fund.
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Adanna Madueke: Adanna Madueke is a beauty creator who uses her channel to promote natural beauty, build confidence, and support the de-stigmatization of natural hair.
Arccway: Tolu Atkinson is a creative entrepreneur and founder of Arccway on YouTube, which he launched in November of 2019, dedicated to helping men throughout the world to develop their own individual personal style while providing men with grooming and skincare advice on how to best take care of their health and wellbeing.
Dbrazierr: DeQuawn describes himself as an incredibly awkward variety creator who is passionate about art & self expression, with his channel featuring everything from digital art to amateur filmmaking, with silly skits and dance challenges in between, all with a goal to create content that inspires and brings joy to his community.
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Fatima Bah: Fatima Bah’s channel is aimed at helping Black women present themselves in the best way possible, featuring videos on fashion, makeup and personal hygiene in which she goes in depth into her personal favourite products, tips and tricks.
HINDZ: HINDZ is a Vancouver-based artist and storyteller who uses his channel as a visual storytelling podcast, which is a guide to embracing and nourishing your creative self. He connects with his community by creating a safe space online to discuss mental health, culture, spirituality, self-love and so much more through his audio-visual experience that is both calming and insightful.
MiDASTECH: MIDASTECH is the creation of Tomi, a Nigerian Canadian creating videos in the tech and DIY space, with weekly videos that cover everything from smart watch reviews to battery tests on the newest phones.
O’Neil Gerald: O’Neil Gerald is a singer/songwriter with a background in music theory and vocal analysis, who started his channel to not only share his knowledge, but to begin a journey with his audience in music creation. He seized the opportunity to support young and emerging artists by offering his channel as a free resource for the technical side of the music industry.
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Steph & Den: Dennis and his partner Steph share how they’re navigating their 20s, from working corporate jobs (and then quitting those jobs), increasing their income, saving more money, investing, and now growing their own business where they work for themselves full-time.
The OT Love Train: The OT Love Train comes from power couple Olus B and Dorothy Tuash, whose channel focuses on their lifestyle, relationship and humorous personalities, with a vision of becoming a constant reference for Black authenticity, positivity and excellence.
Tirrrb: Thieb’s channel offers activist content from his perspective as a Canadian immigrant, using his unique voice to create content that disarms bigotry and supports his growing community.
TOBi: Oluwatobi, or more widely known as TOBi, is a Nigerian-born artist based in Ontario. He released his first album in May 2019, and uses his YouTube channel to share his audio and visual art, along with behind-the-scenes content. His second studio album, Elements Vol. 1, won the 2021 Juno Award for Rap Record of the Year, and he was also named one of the 2021 winners of SOCAN’s Black Canadian Music Awards.
