We are #blkcreatives.

Our mission is to provide Black creatives with community, resources, and opportunities for their overall advancement.We are not a non-profit, we’ve made it our literal business to serve Black creators.

We get you and we got you.

Culture does not exist without Black creativity.

#blkcreatives (pronounced hashtag Black creatives) is a digital collective built to keep smart, talented, and skillful Black creatives, like yourself, from giving up.

Our collective of creators is a tribute to Black creativity through experiences, content, and products that honor our culture’s past, nurture our present, and help us continue to build toward the future. We are here to preserve, sustain, and elevate Black creativity in all phases of its development and existence by nurturing the contributions of all Black creators.

We are building a future where Black creatives are acknowledged and supported personally and professionally.

As a lighthouse for unresolved talents, we want to help you move from doubt and uncertainty into confidence and clarity. However, we do not do this alone. We stand on the belief that true strength lies in community.

We are always in pursuit of progress not perfection, community over clout, authenticity over algorithms, freedom over fear.

About Our Founder

Melissa Kimble

Melissa Kimble is a writer, cultural strategist, and community organizer with two hometowns – Chicago, Illinois and Memphis, Tennessee. Melissa’s impactful viral manifesto, ‘This world does not move without Black creativity’, reflects her work’s central theme and focus: preserving, producing, and prioritizing Black culture, creativity and stories, for the betterment of the world around us.

In 2012 Melissa founded #blkcreatives – the only digital collective providing genuine support for the Black creator while honoring Black creativity in all of its phases of existence and development. Through #blkcreatives, she has led, crafted, and executed digital experiences and activations for major media companies such as Lifetime, A&E, The HISTORY Channel, Amazon Prime, HBO Max, Focus Features, Square, and The Voter Participation Center.

As a writer and strategist creating at the intersection of culture, creativity, and community wellness, Melissa has worked for iconic brands such as Golin, EBONY Magazine, and Burrell Communications for social strategy, and has written for various outlets including Glamour, Essence, Adweek, MTVNews, NBCNews Think, and Spotify’s Frequency.

Learn more about Melissa on her website.

Twitter – Instagram

Melissa Kimble
About our Brand Partnerships Manager

Rita Hawk

Rita is a multifaceted artist, purveyor, communicator, brand partnerships management, and development expert. Based out of Washington DC, now central Virginia. For 15+ years she’s worked best as a conduit; Standing at the intersection of media, education, agriculture, environmentalism, outdoor development space, and film.

Her dedication to the proverbial “work” and culture cannot be understated. In 2022. Rita created and facilitated quality experiences and paid opportunities with a fresh new perspective throughout the #blkcreatives community. Working with several major streaming, film, and tv production companies and legacy brands such as Hulu, Disney+, The North Face, YETI, Target, Outside Online, Subaru, and NPR.

In 2023. Rita amassed over $400 K in earnings and partnerships for her respective clients while disrupting the outdoor industry in conquest to level the field for Black/POC creatives and athletes. She also made a screenwriting debut with Intersectionality: The Doc and produced several other short form projects.

She has a knack for keeping folks honest, and inspiring others to be expansive and bold in their convictions to be seen, respected, celebrated, and heard. Her motivations are to get people as free as possible, their way. As well as preserve and elevate experiences for Black creatives. Because we deserve it.

In 2024. Her work continues as an educator, facilitator, artist, writer, and advocate for exploited and marginalized communities everywhere.

Twitter – Instagram

Our Resource Board

We are here to assist you with accessing the resources you need to build the future you want for yourself, your community, and the next generation.

Our resource board includes job opportunities, grants, programs, and other resources for creative career development and overall wellness.

If you’re a creative looking for specific leads, opportunities, and resources that you are looking for, email admin@blkcreatives.com with that you’re looking for and we’ll do our best to find it.

Access It Here

Are you a brand or corporation that wants to talk about sponsorship?

Culture does not exist without Black creativity and your authentic connection to it begins here.

All offerings are created exclusively in-house:

  • Digital and Offline Watch Party Experiences
  • Digital and Offline Creative Workshops
  • Sponsored Editorial and Social Content

Begin the Brand Partnership Conversation
Brand Alignment Partners
The Collaborators

Meet some of the Black creatives whose work you see across #blkcreatives.