The yr was 2020 and whereas the remainder of the world was grappling with a world pandemic, YouTube was having fairly the yr. The video platform noticed the largest development in utilization out of all of the social media apps throughout the pandemic, with its person base rising from 73% of US adults in 2019 to 81% in 2021.
YouTube was a saving grace for adults juggling the troublesome act of working, homeschooling, and caring for younger youngsters caught indoors. However one thing was lacking for a few of the mother and father seeking to present ‘edutainment’ to their little ones: illustration of at present’s world.
Impressed by their daughter Graceyn’s ardour for singing, faculty professors Javoris and Arlene Gordon-Hollingsworth created Gracie’s Nook as a response to the shortage of Black illustration in youngsters’s media throughout the pandemic. As we speak, the ‘residence venture’ boasts over 4.7 million YouTube subscribers and an general 5.4 million followers throughout all platforms.
The favored YouTube sequence covers all the things from consuming veggies to the fantastic thing about pure Black hair by means of catchy songs produced by Gracie’s father and sung by Gracie herself. The musically gifted household has acquired important recognition, together with the 2024 NAACP Award for Most Excellent Youngsters’s Program, and collaborations with artists equivalent to Large Freedia, That Lady Lay Lay, and Snoop Dogg have broadened the sequence’ affect and enchantment.
The Hollingsworth household sat down with ADWEEK to debate its unintended viral success, navigating the panorama of video algorithms, and classes for the following technology of creators.
Their phrases have been edited for size and readability.
A unique form of pandemic child
It’s 2020 and we’re in the midst of a pandemic. Like most, we’re having to juggle working from residence in addition to serving to our kids with college.
On the time, each Javoris and I had been professors at universities. I additionally am a psychologist, so we needed to work [during the pandemic]. And so, we needed to discover methods to maintain our littlest youngsters entertained. We did that by doing what most individuals had been doing—permitting our kids to observe instructional content material. YouTube at the moment was one of many best methods to do it as a result of it will auto-feed the following video after which you may discover longer movies.
