6 minute read
TikToker Jhavion Tate Shares His Gift of Laughter
By Peggy Tatum
This is a story of how a chance meeting in Staples led to a conversation with a content creator whose eventual social media post led to over one million TikTok views, 38,000 views on Instagram, and countless views on Facebook.
While waiting in line for some printing, I noticed a well-groomed, neatly dressed young man waiting on an equally impressive young lady designing some business cards. I complimented his attire and asked him if he was a student. He said he was a content creator, and of course, I had to ask, “What type of content do you do?” Apparently, he sees me as a pigeon for his next viral content, and the next thing he says is, “I’m from Dubai.” My mind raced for a comeback, trying to process a young black man from Dubai conversing with me. My response came straight from my momma’s term of endearment. I just said, “Shut Your Mouth”.
I was not on TikTok and had no desire to add another social media platform to my repertoire. Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Nextdoor, and X were more than enough to manage. But to see what was going on with this viral sensation, I had to peek into the world of TikTok. I was captivated by the sheer allegiance of 23-year-old Jhavion Tate, with over 800,000 followers who are as dedicated as Beyonce’s BeyHive.
Sixty seconds is all it takes to get the conversation rolling. In this post, his followers accepted me as a sweet old lady, and thousands of comments made me chuckle. The interaction was an eye-opener for me. When you watch the interview, you will see how he asked me where I got the items I was wearing. Each answer was, “It Was A Gift”. I never realized until then how blessed I am with the numerous gifts I receive from friends and the gift of meeting Jhavion.
Since our initial meeting, we sat down for an interview, as I promised. My mind was ticking about how the church struggles with the youth population and how to reach them where they reside on social media strategically. We also attended church together, where Jhavion met his favorite artist, Lisa Knowles-Smith. This interaction with her went viral with over 100,000 views within two days. He’s a church boy for sure. I can tell by how he beats that tambourine and those light feet. He just uses his gift for gab and humor in a nontraditional manner.
Here are some highlights from our interview. To hear the complete interview, visit my YouTube Channel @peggytatum253.
Background and Faith: Jhavion shares some personal background, including being born in Dubai and being involved in church activities. He sees his online presence as a form of ministry, reaching out to young people who may not attend traditional church services.
Social Media Success: Jhavion mentions his success on TikTok, where he has garnered a significant following and millions of views. Starting out, no one wanted to share their expertise. Since he has climbed his way up the ladder to stardom, he is mentoring others to become successful and exposing others through a Talent Show on TikTok.
Educational Pursuits: Jhavion expresses his pride in his teeth and sees his smile as an essential aspect of his identity and wants to pursue a dentistry career alongside his social media work. He is currently enrolled in community college. He emphasizes, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. What if social media is snatched away from you? Have a backup plan.”
Near-Fatal Accident: Jhavion recounts a serious accident he had while riding a four-wheeler, which resulted in a significant head injury and hospitalization. On May 7, 2019, he was riding four-wheelers with his friends. He was driving one with a friend in the back while another was on a separate vehicle. Jhavion was recording a live video on Snapchat with one hand on the handlebar and his companion behind him holding on to the other. While distracted by his phone, he collided with his friend in front of him, resulting in him being thrown off the vehicle and hitting his head and left side on the concrete. Jhavion was unconscious for two weeks and spent an additional four to five weeks in the hospital for recovery.
He describes the spiritual significance of surviving the accident and the role of prayer in his recovery. The doctors wanted to perform surgery. His mom said, “You know, I don’t want him to have any scars that he has to remember this.” But she also said no because she was going back and forth, talking to God, talking to God, talking to God. Plus, his grandparents, who are pastors, had the church, talking to God, talking to God, talking to God. Jhavion exclaimed, “And one thing God did do was he showed up on my behalf. So that’s why I, to this day, put God first, and I said, you know, I am nothing without God because if it had not been for him, who was there on that phone with me, with his hand on me, I wouldn’t be here today talking to you.”
Life Perspective and Purpose: The conversation delves into Jhavion’s outlook on life and his belief in fulfilling his purpose. He shares anecdotes about positive interactions with followers and emphasizes the importance of bringing joy and laughter to others. His posts have bought folks out of depression and who were on the brink of suicide.
Reflection on Support: Jhavion expresses gratitude for the support he’s received from friends, family, and followers, highlighting the impact of small gestures and words of encouragement.
“I have friends all over the world. I especially want to thank Jakara, Dace, Spotlight Shannell, Fayb0, and Rodrigo.”
Social media has redirected the attention of not only our youth but adults as well. What are your success stories with reaching the youth population in your community. I would love to hear them. In the meantime, to hear the rest of the interview with Jhavion, visit my YouTube Channel @peggytatum253. To order a copy of this magazine issue, visit www.tcpmagazine.com.
