Bumble ad centers Black women and Black love

A 2014 survey from the dating app OkCupid noted that Black women experience unique hurdles in online dating, including receiving fewer answers and matches than women of other races. 

Bumble’s latest advertisement highlights Black women and the essence of Black love.

In an ad designed by Elfried Samba’s agency, Butterfly 3ffect, the dating app highlights the realities of Black British women and calls out negative stereotypes they confront when dating, according to The Drum.

“Love Island” contestants Amber Gill and Whitney Adebayo Nella Rose, as well as social media personality Shantania Beckford and Tolly T from “The Receipts Podcast,” appear in the spot.

Black women and Black love are the focus of a new ad from the online dating site Bumble. (Photo: Adobe Stock)

“While we’ve seen some positive shifts in representation, Black women continue to face stereotypes and preconceptions when dating,” said Naomi Walkland, vice president of marketing at Bumble, “everything from what kinds of dates they expect, to the food they want to eat, to the volumes of their voices.”

According to HuffPost, a 2014 survey from the dating app OkCupid noted that Black women experience unique hurdles in online dating, including receiving fewer answers and matches than women of other races. 

TheGrio previously reported that college-educated Black women are also 53% less likely to marry a well-educated man compared to their white counterparts for reasons ranging from mere preference to uncontrollable variables such as stereotypes and Western beauty norms, as well as differing life objectives.

Walkland emphasized the significance of representation, pointing out that it is crucial in all aspects. She noted that being acknowledged, heard and appreciated forms the foundation of enduring friendships and romances, which are vital to leading a fulfilling and joyful life. 

“Bumble has used, and will continue to use, our platform to better represent the breadth of Black love, from broadening representation to challenging fetishization and preconceptions,” Walkland added, The Drum reported, “and, importantly, creating space to celebrate the joy of love stories from the community.”

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