Its first ever Metaverse Culture Series will debut this month in Horizon Worlds
Meta is extending its Black History Month initiatives into augmented and virtual reality and the metaverse.
Its first ever Metaverse Culture Series will debut this month in Horizon Worlds and Horizon Workrooms, bringing together Black thought leaders and creators from across the U.S. to explore ideas for weaving Black culture, heritage and creativity into the fabric of the metaverse.
Meta said this marks the first in a series of VR-based programming moments it will host throughout the year, with the aim of providing an accessible entry point into the future of technology for diverse and historically excluded communities.
Meta Quest 2 users can view a new selection of curated VR content on Oculus TV each week, including a look at the unsung heroes of the Black Lives Matter movement with the creatives behind In Protest, as well as a tour of the International Space Station with astronaut Victor Glover.
Traveling While Black, a free VR experience from Academy Award-winning director Roger Ross Williams, explores the history of restriction of movement for Black Americans and the creation of safe spaces.
Exhibit African/American: Making the Nation’s Table opens Feb. 23 in New York. It is an immersive artistic journey by the Museum of Food and Drink and AR creator Charles “Ceej” Johnson, exploring the stories of Black Americans who helped shape the country’s culinary culture.
The ARt of My Roots AR effect on the Facebook and Instagram camera is dedicated to making art and culture accessible to all, and a collection of AR effects inspired by two pieces from African/American: Making the Nation’s Table will be available on the two platforms, as well.
On Facebook, the Lift Black Voices hub will begin a monthlong curated activation in two parts, with the first highlighting Black identity and influence, and the second focused on reclaiming Black narratives.Facebook Lift Black Voices Headerhttps://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.496.0_en.html#goog_15456726680 seconds of 15 secondsVolume 90%
Content will include articles, quizzes and videos, and formats like Live Audio Rooms and Reels will be part of the hub for the first time.
Examples include: Refinery29 global editor in chief Simone Oliver and celebrity stylist and Bulletin writer Law Roach will host fashion-focused Live Audio Room Black Is the New Black; and author, facilitator and Bulletin writer Alex Elle will curate Notes of Gratitude, short, inspiring reflections on gratitude and pride.Facebook Lift Black Voices Contenthttps://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.496.0_en.html#goog_15456726690 seconds of 1 minute, 17 secondsVolume 90%
Meta Open Arts curated “In Photos: Black History Today,” a photo gallery for Lift Black Voices that highlights Black artists authoring their own Black history through passion and visual expression, featuring work from photographers including Omar Victor Diop, Ivan McClellan, Sol Bela Mele, Joiri Minaya and Naila Ruechel.
Creator accelerator program We the Culture will reveal its latest class of creators and release new programming exploring how creators such as archivists, designers, musicians and visual artists imagine legacy and answer the question for the month: How do you create for the future?
Future Made, a new video series and Reels challenge on Facebook and Instagram, features conversations between public figures and their family members, including La La Anthony and her son, Kiyan, and AmbersCloset and her father, Arthur Whittington.
Instagram is asking its community to celebrate Black joy with its #ShareBlackStories campaign, and its new miniseries, Love at First Slide, celebrates the joy of Black love in direct messages.
And later this month, surrealist artist Alim Smith will celebrate Black meme culture with an immersive art installation.
