People are taking a patchwork approach to self-expression to feel like they have control over how their identity is generated. Yet as individual expression becomes more mutable and mistrust in social systems abounds, there’s one place above all that people are seeking integrity and guidance: brands.

The past decade has seen political polarisation – accelerated by social media’s filter bubbles and echo chambers – deepen and mutate. An ominous era of a polycrisis has shattered any remaining societal consensus. Meanwhile, powerful anti-establishment voices have stepped into the void.

Atlanta is a genre-defying series that explores everyday experiences of Black poverty, middle-class success, and racism through a lens of Afro-surrealism. What does its popularity say about the demands of modern audiences? And how can brands and media companies foreground more authentic stories?

With the launch of AfroLA, African American journalists in Los Angeles are on a mission to counter the news industry’s problematic representation of the Black community. The digital-only news source hopes to celebrate and normalize Black experiences outside the scope of negative narratives.

The majority of Black Canadians feel their employers have made progress in addressing anti-Black racism in the past year but worry that a recession could reverse these gains. This signals a desire among workers for consistent action from businesses to back up long-term commitments.

The metaverse holds the potential to offer virtual utopias for all. But with racism and sexism commonplace in existing digital spaces, there are doubts that Web3 will be any more inclusive. Canvas8 spoke to the artist LaJuné McMillian about how brands can create more welcoming online worlds.