tonight, the black talent of tiktok. creating trends like the renegade. ♪ renegade renegade ♪ >> inspiring viral dance moves but not sharing in the light or the profit. >> what was that like? >> i was happy they were doing it but frustrated at the same time because they weren't giving me my credit. >> why top creators are fighting for fairness with millions of endorsement dollars at stake. and her pledging to fight for you. ♪ i will always always fight for you ♪ >> the grammy-winning singer writing a song for a social movement, sitting down to tell her story. how she found strength in her own struggle. >> everybody's fighting for something every single day. and the idea was to create this

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tonight black content creators claiming their smash hit trends have been co-opted on the shoocl media app. my colleague janai norman has the story. >> tiktok is creative, expressive, funny. >> raw, entertaining, and fierce. >> uh-huh. >> reporter: with over 1 billion users tiktok is the latest craze in entertainment. >> it lets me be free. >> it allows me to speak without getting interrupted. >> reporter: it's nonstop creativity and expression delivered right to the vital "for you" page, curated for each user based on their interests, calculated by their likes, views, and shares. >> it's designed to reach people of any age, any background, any ethnicity. >> it gives everyone a chance to be discovered. >> reporter: and of course, there are the viral advances. in early 2020, it was the renegade set to the song "lottery." millions of people were doing

the renegade challenge, including celebrities like lizzo and a-rod. but at the time, no one was crediting the dance's creator, jilea harmon, then just 14 years old. >> do you want to teach a little of the renegade? >> if allowed to. like i hit the lottery, like a dice roll. >> reporter: the atlanta-based teen has been dancing since she was 3 and it shows. >> what did you just do with your foot? >> reporter: she post the dance to instagram but it wasn't until someone did her dance on tiktok that it went viral. what was that like for you? >> i was really, you know -- i was happy that people were doing it. but i was kind of frustrated at the same time because they weren't really giving me my credit. if i saw somebody do the dance i would go in their comments and say, hey, this is my dance, this is my dance. but nobody would believe me. >> the renegade is synonymous with tiktok. i think it is the most viral dance i've ever seen in my career. >> reporter: it took a profile and "the new york times" for jilea to claim her title as the

renegade create i mean, in a lot of ways your life changed overnight. >> yes. that weekend, i went to chicago for the nba all-star game. then had to do "ellen." >> reporter: since then the teen has turned that clout into partnerships with brands like samsung, "the scoob" movie, prada. >> huge endorsement deals are on the line. trends on tiktok can be millions of dollars. >> there's the saying, if they love black people as much as they love black culture. it's because the appropriation of black art goes back centuries. how did it feel for you being an example of this much bigger problem at such a young age? >> yeah, it was pretty hard for me to wrap my mind around. because, like, i really don't like to see black creators not getting the recognition that they need. >> this renegade challenge, it

made me feel like, as a black consent curator, that i can always have something taken away from me. >> i d think that black work is appreciated on tiktok. but only when it's being done by nonblack people. >> there are so many black creators that experience this every single day. things trickle up from black internet users and it becomes mainstream. but it's not just recognizing, oh, well, this originated in these places. it's giving those original creators a seat at the table and credit, and also allowing them to enjoy the financial success that the people who mainstream these ideas receive. >> we want to make sure that these creators get their recognition. because they deserve the flowers. >> reporter: as director of creator community at tik tok, it's kuji takumbo's job to make sure its creators are seen and heard. >> we need to do more work in understanding trend origination. >> how is tiktok making sure

these black creators are getting as much exposure to those opportunities as their white counterparts are? >> the key is to make sure that you're always finding and amplifying black voices. making sure that we want the two to succeed in terms of videos, but then highlighting them on any of our channels that we have, whether that is newsletters or social media or anything that includes a brand campaign. because that's what these opportunities come from. they come from you being seen. >> for some of those voices, if there's a black creator who speaks out about injustice or everyday racism that they deal with, some advertisers may look at that as political and just a realm they don't want to tread into. how can tiktok help protect those black creators so that them speaking out about the racism they face, that their white counterparts don't face, isn't seen as something that's negative or a knock on them? >> it shouldn't be seen as negative. counter-speech is very much allowed. it's on the advertisers and brands to think about who

they're partnering with so that they're really thinking, is their brand talking about the world at it is today? or some ideal world that they believe these conversations aren't happening? because they're happening, and they're happening on tiktok. >> this is a message for all my black tiktokers. >> reporter: even on tiktok where creativity and authenticity thrive, some black creators feel disadvantaged from the start. >> i have 125,000 followers. somebody explain how it is 354 views on this video. >> am i the only one that has noticed black creators get least favored by the algorithm? >> the algorithm is a reflection of users. if users are not following and engaging with black creators as much because of systemic racism and other reasons, the algorithm is going to show that content to fewer and fewer people. >> there's also a lot of criticism about the algorithm. some black creators feel their work is still not seen as much as if they were maybe white. >> i believe that the creators want more transparency with the

recommendation system. the "for you" feed what is we call it. tiktok doesn't collect race data, so that's not one of the factors that goes into that. >> if there are white users on the platform who are only seeking out and seeing content by white creators, do you think that tiktok has an obligation to make sure that they're being offered and shown diverse videos? >> the recommendation system intersperses with videos from other creators or categories of content that you may not have seen before, so that you continue to discover and see new voices and new perspectives. >> reporter: unsatisfied with the algorithm, black creators demanded action. in response, tiktok created programs like their black trailblazers list, and tiktok for black creatives incubator program. >> a lot of times growing up, being black, navigating a career and a profession, we're told we have to work twice as hard to get half as much. and there are creators who

absolutely feel that way. so when you say that tiktok will always amplify black voices, how do we get to the point where tiktok doesn't have to amplify black voices, because they're amplified just as much as everybody else's? >> that is my dream state. my dream state is where we all live in a world where you. enough, just as you are. right? but this is an industry-wide -- this is like, entertainment in general. so right now --. >> you're absolutely right about that. >> you have to be like, who are the people and will get to that place when that is the norm. >> reporter: some creators aren't waiting for the platform to change and instead they're taking matters into their own hands. >> hey, guys. welcome back to black magic minute. i'm taylor cassidy, your host. >> i kept seeing videos about black singers and black people trying to get their name out there. so it was like, what if i uplifted them? what if i shed light on them? not only to give them their credit, but so that more people could go support them.

>> you are beautiful! >> you are enough. >> a symbol! >> reporter: 18-year-old taylor cassidy, one of tiktok's black trailblazers, is all about highlighting black women's work and spreading positivity to her over 2 million followers. >> being the baddest has no type. go and make your own magic. >> i want to show people that black people aren't a monolith. whenever somebody comes to my videos, i want them to come seeking pride in themselves. >> do you remember the miss fatty challenge? it was made by the only i am bratty b. she didn't get credit for it, so let's give her her props. >> people of all races come to micro magic minute because they want to learn how to support better, they want to learn how to respect black culture better. i see more and more tiktokers on the platform saying their truth. one black person can't solve everything and can't give the answers to every single problem. it's up to an entire group of people to make that change.

thank you so much for tuning in. and remember, keep rising. >> our thanks to janai. up next, the singer who will fight for you. musician her writing an anthem for the revolution. ♪ i will always fight for you ♪ [♪] when you have diabetes, managing your blood sugar is crucial. try boost glucose control. the patented blend is clinically shown to help manage blood sugar levels. boost glucose control products contain high quality protein and key nutrients to support immune health. try boost. woman: i have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are getting clearer ♪ ♪ yeah i feel free ♪ ♪ to bare my skin, ♪ ♪ yeah, that's all me ♪ ♪ nothing and me ♪ ♪ go hand in hand ♪ ♪ nothing on my skin, that's my new plan ♪ ♪ nothing is everything ♪ woman: keep your skin clearer with skyrizi.

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singer/songwriter her, discussing dmunlt and identity with abc's zachary kiesch. ♪ >> "judah and the black mess sigh yeah." how did you get involved with this film? >> as soon as i got the call i was like, i'd love to be a part of this story. >> reporter: for gabriela wilson, known widely as h.e.r., writing a song for "judas and the black mess siiah" was aiiahs to uplift. >> i said, i think i can do a master piece, and it felt like the perfect thing. >> reporter: she drew inspiration from the work of fred hampton. the film is based on the life and dead of the fearless chicago-based activist. >> we watched the movie in the studio before we created this song. >> you can murder a revolutionary but you can't murder a revolution! you can't murder freedom! >> i thought about all the different storylines, and

everybody was fighting for something. whether it was for themselves, for freedom, for for control, - everybody was fighting for something every single day. and the idea was to create this song that gave people hope. ♪ freedom going to keep us strong ♪ >> reporter: "fight for you" would become the film's final call to arms, a soulful cry for justice, revolution, revelation. ♪ fighting for my brothers fighting because they judge us ♪ >> freedom for each other, freedom from how they see us, freedom doesn't hang from the trees, things like that. >> freedom's not free. >> freedom is not free. >> you've said that everybody is fighting for someone. where does that come from? >> i don't know if everybody's fighting for someone else, but they're fighting for something. i think as a woman, especially

as a black woman, i'm fighting for black women. i'm fighting for women who may have always felt different and have trouble accepting that they're unique. i feel lime fighting for people like me, fighting to continue to be comfortable in who i am and what i bring to this world. and having faith that i am bringing something to this world. and that anybody can have an impact, big or small. ♪ i can't breathe ♪ >> reporter: the 23-year-old is no stranger about writing music for america's racial awakening. fight for me ♪ >> reporter: dropping the track "i can't breathe" in the wake of george floyd's death last year. an anthem that captured both the pain and the heartbreak felt across the country. >> i'm curious the place that you were in when you wrote that, and how you've been able to

harness this painful period and find a way to elevate it in a way that we can all lean into and appreciate. >> yeah, i mean, the song, it came from a very painful place. i always say these things like, you know, how do we cope when we don't love each other? what is a gun to a man that surrenders? what is the world like this? all these questions i had. i just put them in the song. and it was like a tribute to george floyd, but it's also -- hopefully it was a spark for change. >> i'm curious if you think that music can be a vehicle for this transformation that we're a part of. >> oh, absolutely. it helps us get through things. it eases pain. it's there when nobody else is. it's a language that everybody speaks. it can make you feel something you don't necessarily know how to describe or express. when i pick up a guitar, i feel like i'm expressing in a way that i normally could not.

or it's there when i don't know what to say. and it makes people feel something. it sparks something in people. i've always loved music, but now i have a platform and a voice to actually make change. >> reporter: born to a filipino mother and a black father, h.e.r. has had her own growth process as it relates to racial identity. i'm curious what your experience has been like, given your mom's not black or even from this country. >> definitely in school i felt like i never fit in, i felt i was too filipino for the black kids or too black formal filipino kids. that made me realize we all have to be comfortable with ourselves. we always need something to identify with. but music is what brought the two worlds together and made me feel like i had this crazy foundation and this crazy community because i had black people and filipino people proud of me and proud to say that i was a part of their communities. right now what we're experiencing is really sad. these asian attacks, these

attacks on people who are asian in the bay area, and that scares me a lot. and i just hope that something changes and that people talk about it more. because it's been happening. >> when i think about your success and how you've been able to harness these really heavy issues, i'm concerned from the point of like, at what cost has it come for you, right? like this song feels very therapeutic for me. is that enough? >> i guess it's just a different type of strength. and i guess it's really god speaking through me. because these gifts that i have, they came from god. i'm meant to speak on these issues. so when i carry them, i'm used to it. and it's a responsibility. and i embrace that. and i don't think there is a cost, i think there's more of a reward. it's a blessing, if anything. even though it's painful, it's who i am.

>> our thanks to zachary. the third episode of the abc news series "soul of a nation" airs next tuesday evening 10/9 central on abc. a musical sendoff to mark a special occasion. ♪ struggling to manage my type 2 diabetes was knocking me out of my zone, but lowering my a1c with once-weekly ozempic® helped me get back in it. ♪ oh, oh, oh, ozempic® ♪ my zone? lowering my a1c and losing some weight. now, back to the show. ozempic® is proven to lower a1c. most people who took ozempic® reached an a1c under 7 and maintained it. and you may lose weight. adults lost on average up to 12 pounds. ozempic® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't share needles or pens, or reuse needles.

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♪ finally tonight, one patient discharged with a jazzy flourish. ♪ 72-year-old miriam bertrand is getting a sendoff to beat the band. her departure marking a new orleans hospital's 10,000th successful patient recovery from covid-19. as a brass band plays her out in style. and that's "nightline." you can watch all of our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america.