The lack of Black representation in mainstream media has been increasingly difficult to ignore in 2020. The Black Lives Matter movement has brought to the fore conversations about what it means to be Black in Britain. Dating app Bumble decided to examine what that meant from the perspective of love.

According to new research from Bumble, more than half of Black British people feel that they do not see their love stories represented in mainline online spaces. While 79% of Black people in the UK feel there is a lack of relatable images and stories about dating as a Black person in the UK. The survey, conducted by Censuswide, spoke to 1,000 people in the UK aged 16-60 who identify as Black Caribbean, Black African, Black British and Black and White Mixed.

These statistics make more sense when you realise that searching for images related to romance, relationship or couple, throws up limited depictions of Black people. 

Working with 30 Black British voices and Metallic Inc, Bumble is using this Black History Month to celebrate Black love by telling stories that focus on the joy and power of it. Inspirational figures including Jourdan Dunn, George the Poet and Clara Amfo will be sharing their unscripted reflections on what love means to them. 

The campaign’s aim is to diversify the narratives of Black love highlighted in mainstream media, to shift the conversation and dismantle the stereotypes that pervade the UK media.

“Growing up in London, I saw so little of myself reflected in images of love and relationships that I consumed,’ explains Naomi Walkland, Head of Bumble UK & Ireland. “And when I did, it rarely represented the Black British experience. If this inspires just one young Black girl to feel empowered to make the first move then it is a step in the right direction. Through this effort to document and amplify British Black Love stories, we hope to better represent the breadth of love in the UK. The Black community deserves to see themselves in images of love and joy and their love stories should be celebrated in mainstream spaces.”

When people see themselves reflected and represented in the media it in turn has a significant impact on both mental and emotional health and wellbeing. With 85% of millennials feeling that dating apps have a role to play in the way Black love is depicted in British mainstream media, Bumble’s stance is an important one as it takes steps to empower and celebrate the Black community. 

Bumble are inviting people across social media to share their own experiences with #MyLoveisBlackLove.