Kerry Washington invests in Black-owned social media app Spill

Actress Kerry Washington has made an investment in Spill, a Black-owned social media platform, according to a recent report from TechCrunch. This investment coincides with Spill’s second anniversary, marking a new phase in the app’s development. Though Washington is best known for her roles on TV shows like “Scandal” and “Little Fires Everywhere,” the actress has made a number of early-stage investments. She’s been an angel investor for the direct-to-consumer teeth-alignment startup Byte; the now-defunct women’s co-working space The Wing; celebrity-centric fundraising company Omaze; and Community, an SMS-based marketing tool.

Spill is a social media platform founded by former Twitter employees Alphonzo Terrell and DeVaris Brown. Launched following Elon Musk’s Twitter acquisition and the reported increase in instances of racism on the platform, Spill aims to create an inclusive digital space, particularly for people of color and marginalized communities. The app’s name is inspired by the phrase “spill the tea,” reflecting its focus on fostering open dialogue. With approximately 200,000 users, Spill has established itself as a platform designed to resonate with the experiences and interactions characteristic of Black Twitter.

Spill’s interface is similar to Twitter, featuring a reverse-chronological feed of posts that can include text, images, and hashtags. It incorporates several features that differentiate it, including “Tea Parties” (live video conversations where users can interact with each other and notable figures), and a teacup icon instead of a traditional “like” button. The app’s design and features are tailored to resonate with Black culture and communication styles, and it uses a combination of AI and human oversight for content moderation, with a focus on protecting marginalized groups.

In a surprising turn, one of Spill’s biggest successes this year has been its launch of a live, multiplayer Spades game. Spades has inadvertently become a boon for Spill’s user retention statistics, with one game of Spades lasting about 30 minutes on average. This feature has become a significant driver of user engagement on the platform.

A recent event highlighted the unique value Spill provides to its community. The night before Kerry Washington’s investment was announced, Spill users came together to mourn the death of Marcellus Williams, a Black man who spent over 20 years on death row for a murder he maintained he didn’t commit. Despite the lack of DNA or forensic evidence against him and the opposition of three U.S. Supreme Court justices, Williams was executed. The NAACP described the execution as a lynching.

For Spill co-founder Alphonzo Terrell, this moment emphasized the platform’s importance. As a Black-owned social media app with an active goal of creating safer spaces for marginalized people, Spill provided a platform where users felt comfortable expressing their nuanced feelings about the execution and the American criminal justice system. This incident demonstrates how Spill serves as more than just a social media platform – it’s a space for community support and open dialogue on critical issues affecting marginalized communities.

Washington isn’t just a member of the cap table, though. She’s been active within the Spill community, hosting Tea Parties and having one-on-one conversations with users about topics such as registering to vote. “In a digital world where marginalized groups, especially Black, Brown, and LGBTQIA folks, rarely feel prioritized, Spill stands out,” Washington said in a statement. “I’m proud to be part of this community as both a user and an investor.”

While Spill has made progress, including approaching a million dollars in annualized revenue according to TechCrunch, it faces challenges common to new social media platforms. These include user retention, scaling infrastructure, and competing with established platforms like Twitter and Instagram. With its focus on creating a space for marginalized communities and the support of investors like Kerry Washington, Spill aims to establish its own place in the social media landscape.

As the platform continues to develop, it maintains its mission of providing a digital space for communities that have often felt overlooked on other platforms. To join the Spill community, you can download the app for Android or iOS. You can follow me at @tarikmoody on the platform for updates and more information.