By Kayla Beard, Northend Agent’s
Who could have guessed that an app best known for short trendy dance videos could also become a leading resource for free education?
Edutainment — or “content that is designed to both educate and entertain” — is nothing new. In fact, the word which is most often attributed to Walt Disney dates back to the 1700s, to the days of Ben Franklin and his Poor Richard’s Almanac. Even before that, people across cultures have maintained the colorful storytelling traditions of their indigenous ancestors, including those of us within the African diaspora, reminding us that education and entertainment have always paired well together. Today, educators and storytellers are using TikTok and other social media to bring a fresh spirit to timeless information.
In this season of misinformation and propaganda, credible information is vital especially when it comes to Black history and culture. Since 2021, at least 18 states have imposed bans or restrictions on teaching topics of race and gender, according to an EducationWeek report. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Rep., made headlines in 2023 for banning the College Board’s AP African American Studies course from local schools, and approving new Black history standards that include a clarification to teach “how slaves developed skills which, in some instances, could be applied for their personal benefit,” Ileana Najarro of EducationWeek reported.
In 2024, Black high school students in St. Louis, Missouri organized a large-scale class walk-out in protest of their school board’s decision to remove Black History and Literature courses from the curriculum. Chad Davis reported for NPR that the school board sought to require schools to teach a “politically neutral” version of Black history. These are just some examples of a disturbing trend that has rattled school districts across the nation.
For Black Americans, the systemic and intentional suppression and erasure of Black history is par for the course. Another institution is trying to eliminate or rebrand the gruesome history of slavery in America, you say? Ok, and what did you have for breakfast? Black people have witnessed the pattern of their oppression over the span of many lifetimes. Thankfully, tired as we may be, my people have demonstrated for generations a dedication to preserving and sharing our true history, as told by the ones who lived it. Oral histories have been a critical part of Black education since before the enslavement, and oral storytelling continues to be one of the traditions that connects people across the diaspora as a way to educate and uplift each other.
Thanks to the internet, this intergenerational tradition has found a new home. Social media platforms, including TikTok and YouTube, have become instrumental tools in the hands of educators and experts who are passionate about preserving Black history and other vital knowledge. Look at Ernest Crim III (@mrcrim3) for example, an Emmy-nominated Chicago-based educator with more than 400k followers on TikTok. Crim’s fun Black history content, including series like “G’s of Black History,” proves that students can learn and scroll at the same time.
Dr. Leah Barlow (@afamstudies), an African American Studies professor, started a movement that has since been dubbed “Hillmantok University” when she shared a TikTok video outlining the syllabus and course materials for one of her classes. What started as a way for her to connect online with her students awakened a network of voluntary students, professors and “faculty” who began sharing information and, in some cases, teaching whole courses complete with homework and live lectures, all for free on TikTok. Users can reference the handle @HillmanTok to discover a trove of educational content, including a range of topics from African American studies to basic chemistry to finance.
It bears mention that Black people on TikTok are not the first or only people to use social media for educational purposes. The beauty of this trend, however, is the way it meets this unique moment in time. In the face of threats to ban and restrict social media access, concerns about privacy and transparency, and deliberate attempts to shut down the eruption of racial accountability and education that followed the death of George Floyd; Black people refuse to be silent.
While the current administration and politicians around the country work to undermine the power of public educators to teach Black history and other vital truths, we can celebrate a generation of educators, young and advanced in age, who are devoted to making credible information available to everyone. It is the courageous and creative voices of people like Ernest Crimm, and Leah Barlow that keep our culture and our history alive.
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Photo by cottonbro studio: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-black-android-smartphone-5081930/
