Tasha McCaskiel is a media strategist and the founder of Black Girls in Media (BGIM), a global community she launched in 2018 to bridge the gap for Black women navigating the media industry. What began as a GroupMe chat has blossomed into a platform connecting over 90,000 members through career opportunities, mentorship, and events, all rooted in her mission to uplift and empower women of color in media.

You launched Black Girls in Media in 2018, beginning with a simple GroupMe chat that eventually blossomed into a global community and a full-scale conference. Can you speak to the power of starting small and allowing your vision to grow in response to the evolving needs of the community?

TM: I will say that things that are meant to be will naturally grow on its own, and then it's up to you to pivot once you start growing and seeing how you can fine-tune this thing that's growing. Learn how to create strategies, create an actual business around the community that's growing — that's how I grew. I saw us growing in numbers just from the group chat that I started naturally, and then once I saw it growing in numbers, then I started to figure out, “Okay, what are these people asking for? Events?” Okay, now we need to meet in person, so I need to start creating events, and I have all these members that live all these different places, how can I organize it and make it into an actual organized business? It's exciting to see something that was just a natural passion project grow, but if it's meant to be, it'll naturally take off. God's magic will automatically grow it.

Black Girls in Media Conference. (*All rights reserved to BGIM*)

COVID in 2020 caught everyone off guard. As a founder in what ways did Black Girls in Media evolve or face challenges during the pandemic?

TM: I can speak for a lot of communities at the time where, fortunately, we benefited from the pandemic. Since 2018, we had this virtual community — whether it was social media or inside of our membership platform — so even before the pandemic, we always did virtual events. We had the daily group chat, where we’re checking in, supporting each other. Since outside was closing down, a lot of our members were inside the group chat even more. A lot of our virtual events were even more anticipated because we couldn’t do in-person events. That’s actually when I did our first conference — our first conference was virtual. And I actually ended up doing two because they went so well. We even used an in-person conference format, where it was a full day: we had a virtual DJ, we had different panels throughout the day, we had breaks where people could go to their kitchen and get lunch. So that really actually helped me practice for our in-person conferences that we do now.

“Be so good they can't ignore you.”
- Tasha McCaskiel

What skills should Black women who are trying to break into the media game start building now to set themselves up for the best shot at success? And from your perspective, what are some real, tangible ways they can level up, even if they don’t have access to fancy resources or major connections yet?

TM: The first thing that came to mind was networking. Your network is what's gonna carry you. That's why Black Girls in Media is so important, because especially when we first started off, I saw the opportunities that were being shared, and I never saw anything like it. Like, when I first started off, my network helped me. I messaged a Black woman on LinkedIn who I saw worked at VH1, and she had a really high position, and so I just reached out from Black woman to Black woman. She put in a good word for me and helped me get my first internships in New York. The number one key is to tap into your network — whether it's a network of other Black women you know, whether it's your family, your friends, colleagues that you went to school with. They are all your network. See how you can help them, and then see how they can help you. That's really gonna get you to where you want to be.

What are some of the real challenges and barriers you still see Black women facing in the media industry today? And what advice would you give to help them keep pushing forward and stay in the game, even when the odds feel stacked against them?

TM: I think we're always going to see some kind of struggle. I know for me, my struggle was just getting an opportunity, and I know that's a lot of people's story right now. I've never really been one to wait, so if I'm not getting an opportunity, I'm going to see who I need to message or I'm going to start my own thing. Whether it's a business or just gaining education in the meantime, I'm never one to just sit around and wait. Another thing that media women struggle with is, in today's society, the black dollar doesn't count when we know we're the main ones who benefit, we move the culture. It's just reminding ourselves of that, and regardless of what we see in the news, as far as DEI. The black dollar is still black value. Ignore that kind of news and statistics, just keep pushing, keep believing, write your own story, and be so good they can't ignore you.

What role does representation play in helping the next generation believe that their dreams and aspirations are truly possible?

TM: Every generation is so important, and it’s important for us to remember that. I feel like the work that I do, every time I hear someone reach out to me and say I inspire them, that keeps me going. I even still have people that I look up to who inspire me in terms of where I want to be eventually, so I just think that's so beautiful to know. You're never fully where you're gonna be, you’re never going to fully develop. You're always gonna have room to grow, and you're always gonna have people to look up to. If you look down, somebody's looking up to you, so I think it's important to know wherever you are, whatever stage you are in, whether it's college, early career, or advanced career. Someone is always looking at you. So do your best, and reach down to those who contact you, and dedicate to keeping that circle of life going.

Want to hear more amazing stories like this? Check out our “More of Us” series! If you want to connect with Tasha and support the work she is doing, follow her on social @tashjmackk and support her business Black Girls in Media.