Jalaiah Harmon is the quintessential Black teenager. Now a sophomore in high school, the ATLien burst onto the scene when her TikTok choreography for the Renegade Challenge went viral. At just 14, Jalaiah would see the dance moves she created in just ten minutes on the way to dance class appear everywhere, from television shows, to social media platforms, to news segments, to NBA courts. The only thing missing, was the creator herself.
We’ve seen this story play out several times before. A young, Black creative does something cool, makes it popular, other cultures or big companies take the idea (sans the swag) and makes big bucks off of it. It’s happened in every industry from beauty to music. As Black women, we’re literally watching as folks cash […]
