Barbara Shaibu, founder of Békwu Consults, is a media researcher determined to redefine the Black audience. Though often treated as a monolith, Black audiences represent a complex ecosystem of local and diasporic subgroups that have long been economically underestimated. Shaibu’s report, the Global Black Diaspora Report, synthesizes research from more than 10 sources through 2023 to paint a clearer picture of the Black Diaspora and its cross-market influence.

In the U.S. alone, Black spending power is estimated at $2.1 trillion. Shaibu argues that $500 billion to $700 billion of that can be attributed specifically to foreign-born and second-generation Black diaspora communities.

The 2026 report illustrates how the Black Diaspora in America is both highly educated and outearning many local counterparts. As a result, the Diaspora is quietly driving tech adoption, media consumption, and cross-border spending. Yet most brands, platforms, and advertisers still fail to recognize this group as a distinct audience.

Rethinking the Black Audience 

The Black population in the U.S. is at an all-time high, constituting just over 51 million people in 2025. The black Diaspora in America is also growing, with roughly 10 million Black Americans today being first or second-generation migrants. Hailing from the Caribbean, Africa, and Afro-Latin countries, the Diaspora accounts for 22% of the Black population. 

Since the 1980’s, there has been a 516% increase in foreign-born Black immigrants. Caribbean immigrants were the first diasporic community to establish their presence in the U.S. 40 to 60 years ago. Jamaican, Haitian, Trinidadian, and Guyanese families built communities in New York, New Jersey, Boston, and the DMV area. Today, the African-origin black population is the fastest growing, with people coming from countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Kenya. 

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Diaspora Demographics 

Outdated assumptions and structural racism still shape perceptions of the Black community in the U.S. as having limited spending power and social mobility. But the statistics of the education levels and income brackets of the Diaspora paint a very different picture. Nigerians in the U.S. are among the most educated ethnic groups, with around 60% holding a bachelor’s degree or higher. Overall, 43% of African-born and about a third of Caribbean-born people have a bachelor’s degree or higher. This is far above the American average of 22%. 

When you investigate the median household income of the Black Diaspora in America, African-born households earn about $70k–$75k annually. At the same time, Caribbean-born households average $65–70K a year compared to the overall Black population in the U.S., who make about $52k–$55k. To top it off, about one‑third of African‑born and Caribbean‑born Black households earn over $100k, placing them in the upper-income category. 

In addition, Sub-Saharan Africa received $54 billion in remittances in 2023. The United States is one of the largest source countries for these remittances, indicating that the Diaspora has a large disposable income. These statistics place a majority of the Black Diaspora in America in the upper-middle class. 

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What Makes Diaspora Media Consumers Unique? 

Diasporic communities are simultaneously consuming multiple media markets. The local media in which they are immersed and, additionally, media from their home countries. In an effort to remain connected to their communities and cultures, diasporic viewers will search for culturally specific storytelling that resonates. Content that one member deems valuable or entertaining is then rapidly shared throughout WhatsApp groups, Instagram, and TikTok to build and maintain community. 

As foreigners in a country, members of the Diaspora are more exposed to content with different accents, formats, and mixed genres. Over time, they become adjusted to consuming unfamiliar content and open themselves up to media from the global market. 

A family watches TV at home, reflecting how diaspora households consume both local and global media.

Ahead of the Curve

This cross-border media appetite has made the Black Diaspora early adopters of Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) and Ad-Supported Video on Demand (AVOD) platforms. Platforms like Tubi, Roku Channel, and Pluto TV have expanded their African and Caribbean content libraries since 2021. Tubi now hosts one of the largest free Nollywood libraries in North America. 

In multi-generational diaspora households, FAST platforms like YouTube have become the “Black TV,” Shaibu said. They are free, passwordless, accessible to elders, and compatible across multiple devices, which aligns with how diaspora families watch TV together.

Evidence of the Diasporan Cultural Economies

The Black Diaspora travels across borders, and so does their money. The “return” travel industry has solidified its status as a billion-dollar industry, driven by diaspora communities reconnecting with their roots. 

Ghana’s Year of Return initiative generated $1.9 billion in tourism receipts in 2019. Lagos’ Detty December, the annual homecoming season that draws diaspora visitors from across the world, generated $71.6 million in a single season alone. These are repeatable economic cycles that merge travel, hospitality, and cultural programming into measurable national revenue.

The Carnival economy tells a similar story. Trinidad Carnival generated $95 million in visitor spending in 2025. Jamaica Carnival produced $600 million in total economic output in 2024, with arrivals increasing approximately 20% year-over-year. For the Diaspora, Carnival is a financial commitment spanning flights, accommodation, costumes, and experiences. 

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Outlook for Brands and Advertisers 

The Black Diaspora in America is educated, affluent, digitally connected, and culturally influential. Yet they remain one of the most underserved audiences in marketing. Shaibu’s work is a direct challenge to the assumptions that have allowed brands to overlook them for so long.

“What started as a diaspora-focused report is actually pointing to something broader: audiences are increasingly behaving as cross-market systems, while measurement frameworks remain largely border-bound,” Shaibu explained. For advertisers still thinking within national borders, the report is a wake-up call. 

The Global Black Diaspora Report is essential research for any brand committed to connecting with one of the most underestimated consumer groups today.

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