In the last 10 years, social media use has grown dramatically, with 88% of adults ages 18-29, 70% of adults 30-49 saying they use social media on a regular basis. Not only has social media grown, but this same number of adults say they use social media as a news and information source. With this dramatic rise in engeament social media has become a key venue for political debate and discussion. As of 2018, about half of Americans had engaged in some sort civil or political activity on social media.
However, with racial tensions still on the rise, what is missing in this space are social media agencies run by people of color. Get Social With Teja is a social media agency founded by a Teja Foster, that only employs women of color. Outside of the make-up of the employees being a unique factor, the agency is behind some of the biggest social justice organizations like Rock The Vote and She The People. She is the only Black woman whose agency specifically targets organizations that are making a social and political impact in the Black and Brown community. Her team’s unique perspective as double minorities lend an authentic voice to these brands that cannot be duplicated.
You can take a look at the excellent work they are doing at their website: www.getsocialwithteja.com.
How did you get started in your current field?
Activism has been rooted in my life since birth with being raised in Oakland, Ca, I got a first-hand look at community and what it is like to build one within the people. Moving to Los Angeles for college, it was a different world with Hollywood, I knew I wanted life here but wanted more than just an industry job. I attended Cal State University Northridge and got my degree in Public Relations but quickly noticed how that job was turning into social media connections. I self-taught myself the strategy of social media and how to sell things on it before it became heavily monopolized, I then landed a gig doing social media on a tour called #SchoolsNotPrisons that went to low-income areas and inside prisons to give free concerts in 2016 with Pusha T, Miguel, Ty Dolla Sign, Diggy Simmons, Miguel and many more. It was the exact calling I needed and the perfect balance between activism and working with music still. Since then, it opened me into a world of activism that helped build my agency today.
Have you had any pushback from others (individuals/ agencies, etc.) because you only employ Black and Brown women? If so, how have you overcome that?
I’ve gotten a few comments made of “wow, really that’s interesting.” It never bothers me because I know my intent is rooted where only we may understand why that type of environment is needed these days. I also like to be transparent about who they will be working with, I make it a point when introducing my agency so there are never any awkward requests.
Have you seen any benefits by employing only women of color? What advantages does this have for your company over other social media agencies?
There are so many benefits of employing women of color in this work. First, it has created the safest work environment I’ve ever been in. My team also expresses the refreshing feeling of not being mansplained, talked down to and the more strains women of color feel in the workplace. We have so many stories of being the only Black person, Asian woman etc. at a company and I want that element gone. I also believe social justice and political advocacy is best told through women of color as we experience every bit of it all. There are so many times I see an org or a company that uplifts Black and Brown people, but being run by a white man and that is truly absurd to me. Women of color have lived experiences that we have dealt with since birth, it’s time for us to share stories told through people like us.
Are there any other things you have planned for the future of your agency?
I hope one day that we can be a big enough machine to put out our own campaigns and do work in the community under the Get Social name. Digital advocacy is our strongest platform as we saw in 2020, without it, this country could have fallen apart during the pandemic, worse than it already did. I also hope to expand out of just social media and be the direct hub for social impact communication strategy and implementation to connect orgs and campaigns across the world. We have the power to open so many doors with how we work together.
Tell us a time where you knew you and your agency were making a difference with the work that you do.
Whew, well we haven’t even been open a year and we helped register over 2.5 million people in 2020 alone. Not to mention we helped facilitate getting our first woman and Black woman into the White House. The work we do with Rock The Vote felt extremely surreal in June 2020 when the entire country put their efforts towards learning more about the upcoming election, with their voting history and our unique tactics we were able to use social media to reach so many new voters. The moment Biden announced Kamala as his running mate made things feel even more surreal and when they won, people were calling me screaming like I was the next VP, it made me happy to know that people believe in our work we did and the results were right in front of everyone’s faces.
One other thing I want to touch on is the important side of social media that gets hidden- it’s in activism. A lot of other peers I have in this industry are very different from the work we do at Get Social. We don’t make Instagram feeds like pretty, we aren’t strategizing color palettes, we’re pushing for change, and there’s another side of the internet that’s very important for that. I hope one-day people start to realize that just because it doesn’t look sexy to the eye, doesn’t mean the work isn’t there.
Candace Green is a Birmingham, Alabama transplant by way of Washington DC. She enjoys reading, writing, cooking and eating amazing food, and Marvel movies. She is an author and blogger. You can follow her on IG: c_dog93
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