This story was originally published on Passionfruit.
We’re reaching out to some popular creators to get their best tips and tricks for success and better understand the ups and downs of life as a trailblazer on the internet.
This week, we spoke with Perris Howard, a creator with over 498,000 followers on TikTok and Instagram. Howard is a true multi-hyphenate, and has ventured into original music, singing, dancing, acting, modeling, comedy, and lifestyle content.
Howard rose to prominence on TikTok in 2020 for his frequent use of the #BlackBoyJoy hashtag on dancing, lifestyle, and singing videos. In an interview with Passionfruit, Howard said his use of the hashtag was intended to spread light during a dark and traumatic time for Black people, and to combat stereotypes against Black men in particular.
We also spoke with Howard about the challenges of being known for #BlackBoyJoy, got best tips for other creators who want to integrate advocacy in their work, learned about his favorite social media tools, and heard his future aspirations for music and acting.
