In August of 2022, DeeAnn Wallace felt moved to create a social media account to spread the gospel and share hope.
Her TikTok ministry, called “The Melanin Blueprint,” has reached millions of young people and over 59,000 followers by clarifying misinformation about Christianity and providing encouragement for the Christian journey.
It all started when nothing was going as expected. Her dream was to become an entrepreneur, a goal fueled by a passion for fashion. In March of 2022, she began a clothing company that was her only real vision for the future. However, as the fall approached, the company was not as successful as she had envisioned. She worked out a compromise with her parents and took online college classes so she would not miss freshman year while contemplating her path.
But just one week into taking her online classes she felt “a powerful, yet soft, presence” envelope her. She felt a calling to start a TikTok account to connect with other young Christians. “The idea was that as a person of color, I could serve as a blueprint, or source of support, for other Christian girls like me who are seeking inspiration or guidance in their journeys,” said the Andrews University junior majoring in digital communication.
As her page began to experience its first bit of traction, someone asked a question that would change the focus: “Okay so I want to get closer to God, but I think that means that I'm gonna lose some of the things that made me who I am,” said the TikTok user.
The commenter’s concern resonated with DeeAnn. Her response was simple, yet direct, “God made you exactly who you are, and He loves you more than anything, so if he would ask you to get rid of something in order to get closer to Him, it’s only because He has something even greater in store for you.”
The responses from this video were positive and the commenter followed up by saying that it made her feel acknowledged so DeeAnn decided to continue a path of encouraging and guiding others in their struggles.
When 2022 closed, there were over 13,000 individuals following The Melanin Blueprint. By 2024, over five million people have viewed her videos.
As she continues to post videos clearing misinformation and providing encouragement, she also hosts Bible study movie nights live on TikTok. Every Saturday night, some 2,000 individuals gather to read Bible stories together, play live Kahoot games, and watch animated Bible shows.
“The privilege I have to connect with such a broad and large audience on TikTok is not something I take lightly,” she said. “I fully recognize that the power to discern these difficult conversations and reach as many people as I do with hope and encouragement does not come from me alone but from God. This might not have been the turn I expected my life to take, but I am so grateful for what God is doing.”
As told to the Lake Union Herald
