by Inda Lauryn

Alternative is not a word I would have ever used to describe myself at any point in life. Alternative is not a word I would have used to describe any Black woman or girl, no matter how closely she aligned with an "alternative" aesthetic. Like most people, I believed that alternative culture was the property of whiteness, so I either hid or denied all my alternative inclinations. I told no one that I loved groups like the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Third Eye Blind, or that I fed myself on art house films.

by Ariel C. Williams

The New York Film Academy released a powerful infographic that captures race inequality in film and media in 2014. As we’ve already known, it reinforced the fact Black people are less likely to have strong speaking roles and instead are often restricted to domestic, violent, or promiscuous roles. This visual breakdown of Black producers and directors, box office tickets, and spending power within our communities is dynamic, but raises a very important question: Where are all the media spaces for alternative Black girls and women?

One of the benefits of social media has been the blossoming of authentic, alternative representations of black people. These websites show that there is much more to the experience of black people than what is commonly depicted on television and film. Here are ten black alternative culture websites you should know.