Apple spotlights Black voices during Black History Month
26 January 2022
UPDATE
Apple spotlights Black voices during Black History Month
In celebration of Black History Month, Apple is spotlighting Black business and innovation, and amplifying Black voices with a variety of exclusive content and curated collections. Throughout the month, users can listen to special episodes of “The Message” on Apple Music 1 that discuss Black creators’ contributions to culture and the importance of health and wellness in the community; join new workouts that honour Black History Month on Apple Fitness+; discover new podcasts from Black creators about health, well-being, culture, and history on Apple Podcasts; and much more. Starting today, customers can also enjoy a special edition Unity Lights watch face and order the new Apple Watch Black Unity Braided Solo Loop.
Apple Music
Apple Music is launching a campaign around the theme Music is Healing. Special episodes of “The Message” on Apple Music 1 will feature in-depth conversations between Ebro Darden, Apple Music’s head of Hip-Hop and R&B editorial, and guests. The radio episodes will contextualise contemporary issues around Black health and wellness, and highlight the historical perspective, achievements, and contributions that Black people have made to culture. Music programming on the Apple Music Browse, Genre, and Radio pages will highlight various interpretations around the themes of Movement, Black Love, Celebration, and Peace. Apple Music TV will also have full-day takeovers of music videos inspired by the campaign.
Apple Fitness+
To support users on their health and well-being journey, Fitness+ will feature new workouts that pay tribute to Black History Month, including playlists dedicated to celebrating Black artists, as well as two new meditations led by Fitness+ trainers Christian Howard and JoAnna Hardy, focused on the themes of gratitude and awareness. Throughout the month, users will also have the opportunity to participate in the Unity Challenge and earn a limited-edition award, by closing their Move ring seven days in a row. The inclusive Fitness+ trainer team will also be wearing the new Apple Watch Unity band to celebrate Black History Month.
On February 7, Fitness+ will also release a new episode of Time to Walk, an inspiring audio experience on Apple Watch, featuring activist Ayọ Tometi, one of the founders of the Black Lives Matter movement. On this walk, she talks about how the murder of Trayvon Martin deepened her commitment to activism, and why changing her name altered her outlook on life. That same day, Time to Run, an audio running experience designed to help users become more consistent and better runners, will introduce a new episode featuring Fitness+ trainer Cory Wharton-Malcolm, as he coaches runners through Atlanta, Georgia, with notable sights such as the Birth Home of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.
Apple Watch
Apple is launching a special edition Apple Watch Black Unity Braided Solo Loop and matching Unity Lights watch face inspired by Afrofuturism, a philosophy that explores the Black experience through a narrative of science, technology, and self-empowerment. As part of this launch, Apple is supporting organisations focused on advancing inclusion in science and technology for communities of colour through its Racial Equity and Justice Initiative.
Designed by members and allies of the Black creative community at Apple to celebrate Black history and culture, the Apple Watch Black Unity Braided Solo Loop and matching Unity Lights watch face honours generations of Black people across the African diaspora. This design symbolises a communal belief in the necessity for a more equitable world. The vibrant red and green colours of the Pan-African flag appear like speckled light across the black band.
The band is complemented by the Unity Lights watch face, which is designed using 2D ray tracing, a technology never before implemented for a watch face. Each pixel on the screen simulates the light and shadow falling across it and the movement of the clock hands simultaneously reveal and hide the light, changing dynamically throughout the day. The Unity Lights watch face can be customised to be a full screen or circular dial, and includes a black and white option, tick marks, up to four complications, and a monogram. iPhone, iPad, and Mac users can also show their support for Black History Month by downloading Afrofuturism-inspired wallpapers available at apple.com/my.
App Store
The App Store is spotlighting a full range of apps that are enabling Black health and wellness in all areas of life, from financial to physical and mental well-being. Apple’s global editorial team will feature inspiring stories on apps, developers, and influential voices empowering safe environments for Black communities. Among those individuals and apps are Black-owned apps like Irth that provide maternal health resources to Black women; outdoor and nature apps like AllTrails, Merlin Bird ID, and Nike Run Club, that are enabling solidarity among members of the Black community through fitness, nature, and collective self care; three bold content creators who are using Clubhouse, the social audio app, to level the playing field and raise one another up; and games like “Insecure: The Come Up Game” — inspired by the widely celebrated HBO series “Insecure.”
Apple TV App
The Apple TV app will feature guest-curated collections by prominent Black creators and stars — including Tiffany Haddish, Mekhi Phifer, Natasha Rothwell, Sam Richardson, and more — who’ve shared what they watch to unwind. Viewers can also explore a spectrum of mood-based collections ranging from rest and romance to deep contemplation, as well as collections centred on wellness, spirituality, and faith.
Shot on iPhone
Apple’s latest Shot on iPhone campaign, “Our Stories,” features portraits and video of four pioneers who are at the nexus of Black history — from an athlete, to a costume designer, a music executive, and a Michelin-starred chef. Each individual shares stories about their inspiration, life’s work, and philosophy.
Pricing and Availability
- The Black Unity Braided Solo Loop is available now on apple.com/my and in the Apple Store app, and will be available in select Apple Store locations beginning Tuesday, February 1 for RM399.
- The Black Unity Braided Solo Loop is compatible with Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 4 or newer.
- The Unity Lights watch face will be available today and requires Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 8.3, and iPhone 6s or later running iOS 15.2.
- The Apple Watch Black Unity packaging, Apple Store locations, and Apple Store app will feature App Clip functionality for customers to easily download the watch face, or customers can download from apple.com/my.
Press Contact
Izzie Saleh Ali
Apple
(65) 8876 5933
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