14 Up & Coming Black Influencers to Watch in 2020
With renewed focus on the Black Lives Matter movement, we want to encourage everyone to continue celebrating Black culture and amplifying Black voices.
In an effort to do so, we've compiled a list of a few of our favorite Black influencers to watch this year and beyond. In addition to their amazing content creation skills, all of these influencers have been AspireIQ vetted and rated with exceptionally high (above 90%) follower authenticity, comment sentiment, and engagement quality!
@ Kool_1 - 75.5k followers
What we love about Austin: Austin, also known as Mr. Kool, is a men’s fashion and lifestyle creator from NYC. He often posts his OOTD, which sometimes features his adorable son, who also has impeccable fashion sense (#microfashion). If his endless supply of suit jackets, fancy socks, and pattern pants don’t speak for themselves, it’s clear he means business. He’s worked with brands such as Quay, Skinny Tie, Scentbird, and Grubhub and would be the perfect addition to any fashion campaign.
At a glance:
- Location: NYC, NY
- Perfect fit for: trendy clothing, accessories, luxury shopping
- Most mentioned brands: Harrison Blake Apparel, Klasse14
@bemyguestwithdenise - 85.8k followers
What we love about Denise: Denise is a wife, mother, interior designer, and couponer who has mastered the art of “turning trash into treasure”. Her home looks straight out of a magazine so much that she was named a Better Homes & Gardens Stylemaker in 2019. She also has a YouTube channel where she documents her room makeovers, home improvement DIYs, and more.
At a glance:
- Location: Jacksonville, FL
- Perfect fit for: DIY, home decor, budget-friendly shopping
- Most mentioned brands: HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Roxx, JCPenney, Target, World Market, Lowe’s
@kevinlangue - 212.3k followers
What we love about Kevin: Kevin is a lifestyle influencer who brings humor and lightheartedness to any campaign. His feed makes you feel like he’s a friend you’ve known forever and as a result, his audience is highly receptive to his content. In fact, the average engagement ratio on Instagram falls between 1% and 3% whereas Kevin has an impressive 8.61%. Kevin has worked with a wide range of brands from Purple Carrot, Quip, and 1800 contacts.
At a glance:
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Perfect fit for: trendy clothing, accessories, tech, lifestyle products
- Most mentioned brands: Delta Air Lines, Quip, Pandora, Pacsun
@Africanjawn - 106k followers
What we love about Nneka: If you’re looking for a fierce fashionista for your campaign, look no further than Nneka. She was born in Nigeria and moved to sunny Los Angeles from NYC to pursue her modeling career. This beauty’s various hairstyles, amazing poses, and photography style make any outfit look unreal.
At a glance:
- Location: Los Angeles, CA
- Perfect fit for: fashion, accessories, beauty
- Most mentioned brands: Fenty Beauty, Missguided, Nasty Gal
@nnennab - 181k followers
What we love about Nnenna: Need the full package of humor, fashion, beauty, and travel? Then Nnenna is your girl. Her skits and recreation videos will bring you in, but her beautiful content will have you coming back for more. She’s turned ads from Pantene, Audible, Guiness, WE tv, and more into highly engaging content that her audience loves.
At a glance:
- Location: NYC, NY
- Perfect fit for: pop culture, lifestyle brands, trendy clothing, accessories, beauty
- Most mentioned brands: WE tv, PrettyLittleThing, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Fenty Beauty, MAC Cosmetics
@shaniquebuntyn - 97.4k followers
What we love about Shanique: Shanique, or Journeytowaistlength on YouTube (479k subscribers), focuses her content on her amazing head of hair, fashion, motherhood, and family. She also shares a vlog channel with her husband and their adorable baby boy.
At a glance:
- Location: Toronto, ON, Canada
- Perfect fit for: baby natural hair, household products
- Most mentioned brands: Fashion Nova, Creme of Nature, Shea Moisture
@sopharush - 104k followers
What we love about Sopha: Sopha is a wife and mother who focuses her content on “marriage, motherhood, & ministry”. She is a co-founder of the clothing brand, Created For More, which is a brand meant to inspire people. Nearly every picture she posts will make you go “awwww” because her family is just so stinkin cute! Not only does Sopha post amazing quality content, she often breaks the barriers of transparency by talking about raw topics that most would leave offline, such as her struggles through motherhood, her faith, and relationship advice.
At a glance:
- Location: Dallas, Texas
- Perfect fit for: clothing, baby/family products, and natural beauty products
- Most mentioned brands: Hello Fresh and Summer infant
@pinkbarbie_x3 - 123k followers
What we love about Talya: If you want to be inspired in more ways than one, give Talya a follow. Talya is a blind makeup artist who encourages her audience to “embrace their differences”. Her makeup looks range from everyday to glam to full-on special effects makeup, showing that art and creativity have no boundaries.
At a glance:
- Perfect fit for: makeup and beauty brands
- Most mentioned brands: M·A·C Cosmetics, Morphe, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Fenty Beauty, Maybelline, NYX
@iamjaiparham - 28.3k followers
What we love about Jai'koa: Jai’koa is a proud Afro Latina dancer and athlete based in Anchorage, Alaska. He speaks about his amazing life story as a military kid who used dance as an escape to get through his struggles of moving and even facing homelessnes. His content shows off his amazing fashion sense and highlights some of the opportunities he’s had as a dancer such as working with celebrities such as Drake, Wiz khalifa, and more.
At a glance:
- Location: Anchorage, AK
- Perfect fit for: trendy clothing, athleisure, music, pop culture
- Most mentioned brand: Nike
@shawnacischroeder - 5.7k followers
What we love about Shawnaci: Shawnaci is an Illinois based fashion influencer with an endless supply of #outfitinspo. Her clean, neutral colored aesthetic makes unique silhouettes and fabrics really pop, yet her style is wearable for most. She also has a growing YouTube channel where she creates unboxing videos, try ons, and vlogs.
At a glance:
- Location: Illinois
- Perfect fit for: luxury clothing, fast fashion, trendy accessories
- Most mentioned brands: H&M, American Eagle, Zara, PrettyLittleThing, Target
@tarynnewton - 75.9k followers
What we love about Taryn: Taryn is a wife and mother to three boys with one on the way! Her content is aimed at “helping busy women live life achieving goals while looking great”. She shares her journey through motherhood, beauty and fashion tips, and her family's transition into their dream home.
At a glance:
- Location: Dallas, TX
- Perfect fit for: home decor, household items, family/baby products, trendy clothing and accessories, budget-friendly shopping
- Most mentioned brands: New York & Company, Loft, Hello Fresh, Charming Charlie
@knowingtracy - 55.8k followers
What we love about Tracy: Tracy is a mother to two adorable babies, creative director, and lifestyle blogger with a passion for empowering others while we navigate motherhood. Her content ranges from tips for moms such as making a breast milk bath, her favorite vegan recipes, or how to style a faux fur jacket. Whatever your interests, you’re sure to find some useful advice, along with some beautifully curated content.
At a glance:
- Location: Dallas, TX
- Perfect fit for: clean beauty products, vegan food family/baby products, trendy clothing
- Most mentioned brands: Nylon Magazine, Teen Vogue, H&M
@imported_chocolate - 177k followers
What we love about Wilonda: If glam and “less is more” had a baby, it’d be Wilonda. Wilonda is a Haitian fashion blogger and fitness enthusiast based in Atlanta. She also has a YouTube channel dedicated to women of color who are looking for makeup tips, fashion advice, and everything in between.
At a glance:
- Location: Atlanta, GA
- Perfect fit for: makeup, trendy clothing, accessories
- Most mentioned brands: Fashion Nova, Sally Beauty Supply
@latishatankard - 106k followers
What we love about Latisha: Latisha is a wife and mom to three boys all under the age of 5. Her stylish family, often pictured wearing coordinating outfits, is #goals. Her husband, @marcustankard, also has an Instagram with a growing audience of over 57k. Between the two, you’re sure to get your fix of positive, adorable content each day.
At a glance:
- Location: Clarksville, TN
- Perfect fit for: family/baby products, trendy clothing, accessories, budget-friendly shopping
- Most mentioned brands The Children's Place, Hibbett Sports, Carter’s