Black Ballad is a digital media & lifestyle subscription platform, that was launched by Tobi and Bola in 2014, with the aim to tell the human experience through the eyes of black women living in Britain.

The idea for Black Ballad came to Tobi after spending several years in various mainstream journalism offices and noticing the lack of black writers and stories that discussed the issues black women were facing. After her contract at a weekly TV magazine came to an end and she struggled to break into women’s lifestyle and entertainment journalism, Tobi started to realise the women being hired “all looked the same. Realising that she didn’t match the profile and would not break in, Tobi thought, “You know what, I’ll just give myself a job.”

Since then, the platform has grown to tens of thousands of subscribers whose loyalty and passion for BB is evidenced by the enormous success of BB’s 2021 crowdfunding campaign which saw black women investing in the publication they love. It has also helped Black female journalists into the industry.

Black Ballad continues to thrive, existing to help every black woman realise how she can change her world through every click she makes and every conversation she has. They tell stories, host events and create experiences for, by and about black women that they can’t get anywhere else. Through their articles and podcasts, to their thriving membership and community, BB is determined to help black women in Britain and beyond live their best lives.

DBACE Winner