"Renegade" Creator Jalaiah Harmon's New Docuseries Proves She's More Than a TikTok Phenom

Sixteen-year-old TikTok star Jalaiah Harmon started a movement for overlooked Black content creators last year, and now, she has her own docuseries that's documenting what her life has been like since then. I Am: Jalaiah, a four-part YouTube series, walks viewers through the events that followed Harmon's claim to fame and gives us a chance to get to know more about the young TikToker beyond who we see on social media.

"My team and I thought this would be a cool way for people to see what my day-to-day life is like outside of social media as a regular teenager, spending time with my family and friends," Harmon told Essence in an interview. Harmon's personal experience has granted her the opportunity to be a key player and advocate of creator credit and cultural contributions, and her inspiring story is what has helped other creators have the courage to also fight for their proper credits as originators of their art.

"This story, quite simply, is about centering and celebrating Jalaiah," Kayla Johnson, director of I Am: Jalaiah, said in a statement. "She's more than just a TikTok phenom and more than just 'the girl who created the Renegade.' Though, not enough people gave her credit for the latter. I'm excited for the world to get to know her, her incredible family, and her effortlessly cool friends, as she navigates adolescence while chasing her dreams." New episodes of I Am: Jalaiah premiere weekly on Wednesdays. Watch the latest episodes ahead.