The voice of contemporary Black America has been muted—at best, syphoned and imitated by larger audiences as exploitative reproduction. Despite its disproportionate impact on American life, Black history teeters on the brink of erasure. Marginalizing forces persist from seemingly every leaning side to discount the community’s significance and value. Yet, in the face of these adversities, the Black community not only contributes to the cultural conventions of society but more times than not, they often lead it.
The works of Black producers not only reverberate within the community but continually extend beyond demographic segments, racial and ethnic demarcations, social class rankings, and even national borders. This community, vibrant and resilient, has long been the wellspring of innovation, creativity, and cultural influence that has shaped the very fabric of music, fashion, language, and an ever-expanding list of mannerisms and lifestyle expressions—from the suburbs to the White House, ironically. It’s no coincidence that “FAFO,” for example, has become pop culture vernacular. This is just one instance out of a countless many over a century’s time where Black exports have penetrated the zeitgeist and tattooed itself on American expressions.
But the influence of the Black community doesn’t stop at cultural artifacts. Its economic impact is equally consequential, although often underrecognized. According to a 2025 report by McKinsey, the Black consumers’ economic buying power is projected to reach $1.7 trillion by 2030, despite being underresearched and, subsequently, underserved as a target market across most consumption areas. To better understand the inner workings of the Black community and the meaning-making negotiations that drive its economic clout and outsized influence, we conducted a research-undertaking that provides a window into its cultural world. Who are they beyond demography? How do they navigate the world? And, considering their outsized influence, what might be yet to come?
To rigorously begin this exploration, we chose a research site that was representative of the community as opposed to merely reflections of their work. We wanted to find a place that would give us access to the community where its members not only self-identify as a part of the community but also “practices” its culture, not just mimic it. Tajfel (1981) describes cultural identity as “that part of an individual’s self-concept which derives from knowledge of [self] membership of a social group (or groups) together with the value and emotional significance attached to that membership. Our aim was to identify a place where these individuals convened in such a way that their social interactions and discourse might be revealed and understood. Of the many available research sites, we chose SPILL.
What started as an alternative for the Black community to find a safe space online after the acquisition of Twitter became something more. In the digital realm, Black Twitter had long been recognized as a powerful force for social commentary, humor, and mobilization. However, under new leadership, an exodus emerged, leaving a void for Black expressions by Black people on the social web. Enter SPILL, a social media platform—created by two Black former Twitter executives, Twitter engineers, no less—that became a digital home for Black voices and experiences.
Over its almost three years of existence, SPILL has become a refuge for close to one million individuals, roughly 80% of which are Black-identifying. It is an active public square where real people discuss important topics, construct meaning, and establish expectations. It’s more than just another “social media app;” it’s a community that engages as such, where the broader Black community’s cultural conventions are represented and celebrated. Of course, making SPILL the ideal environment to observe and understand the Black cultural experience.
Out of our research came a landmark report that will not only help brands & business leaders engage the Black community more effectively but, more importantly, understand who we are beyond demography and tropes.
The key findings we extracted revolve around the following themes:
1. How the community presents
2. How the community communicates
3. How the community consumes
4. How the community engages power
5. How the community thinks about the future
The full study is available NOW at https://whatsthetea.spill.com/.
The views expressed in this column are those of the author, Marcus Collins – best-selling author of For The Culture and clinical professor at the Ross School of Business, University of Michigan – and do not necessarily reflect the views of Brand Innovators.
