True Jackson V.P.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, Nickelodeon created memorable and impactful sitcoms that positively affected the Black community, especially young Black boys. However, a Nickelodeon sitcom that premiered in 2008 also had a positive effect on the Black community, particularly young Black girls. The sitcom I'm referring to is called True Jackson, V.P. The show was about a 15-year-old girl named True Jackson, who lands her dream job as vice president of an apparel line at a corporate fashion company called Mad Style. Once True starts working there, she soon realizes that the corporate fashion world is no different from high school. The show only lasted for two seasons, but its impact on young Black women was influential enough to make people agree that future generations need to have their own True Jackson, V.P.

First, it's important to mention that the show itself featured a young Black female as its star. Rather than portraying her as a janitor or in some type of low-paying job, True was given one of the highest positions in the company: vice president. This was something that rarely happened for people of color, especially women. Having a young Black woman who was also a teenager on screen, playing the lead role and working in a high-level position at a fashion company, was something special for the Black community.

“True Jackson VP was a show led with a person of color in a lead role and its premise had the character in an executive position so few people of color are in today,” Associate Editor Matt Reich explained in The Impact News. This type of representation was also empowering for young Black girls because it allowed them to see themselves in True and be inspired to pursue leadership roles, work in corporate businesses, or become CEOs of their own companies.

“Jackson’s sudden hiring to be a Vice President of a fashion company is the fantasy work of television. However, her character’s job position is a subtle inspiration for children of all races, especially children who are of color, and both genders that they can dream to run their own businesses,” he explains in the same source. “They can feel empowered to want to become leaders of companies as they progress to teenagers, to college students, and then as young professionals. An empowerment that is greatly needed to overcome the leadership glass ceilings that currently exist in many professional fields and industries.”

Speaking of glass ceilings, it's important to recognize the second reason why True Jackson, V.P. was impactful to the Black community: it brought up many important discussions regarding women and people of color in the workplace and how they're treated when it comes to equality. In corporate businesses, a small percentage of women and people of color hold leadership positions in the workplace.

“The reality of many companies and businesses is that women and people of color make a small fraction of CEO and leadership positions. A report by Fortune found of the sixteen Fortune 500 companies that were willing to share their employee demographic information only 20.5% of senior managers and 6.4% of CEO positions were held by women. Only 3% and 2% of senior executives are held by Latinos and African Americans. Based on these poor results and logic, if these companies were the one’s willing to share their information, then the companies not sharing have the same percentages or worse,” Matt explains in the same source. “The same is terrible for people of color in high-level positions. The Atlantic wrote last year about how there were only four CEO’s who were African American. As The Atlantic noted, Ken Chenault would step down in early 2018, which he did on February 1. Now, only three CEO’s are African American.”

Knowing these statistics, it's no wonder that True Jackson, V.P. was impactful to women of color because it gave women and young girls hope that these statistics could change. The younger generation has the power to be the change the corporate world needs to become more inclusive and equal.

Speaking of hope and change, a third reason why True Jackson, V.P. was impactful for women of color in the Black community is its similarities to Barack Obama and his presidency. When Obama was sworn in as President of the United States in 2009, one of the most memorable moments of his presidency was when he interacted with a young Black boy named Jacob.

“An image most remembered of the Obama Presidency is an image of a young boy named Jacob who asked to feel President Obama’s hair to see if it was like his hair. ‘I want to know if my hair is just like yours,’ he asked before Obama obliged by lower his head to be eye-level with Jacob,” Matt explains in the same source. “If you were to look at the images most used in describing his presidency this image is likely to be one of them. Despite the image being several years old, it has continued to resonate for the same reason a show like True Jackson VP does for me.”

When Jacob touched Obama's hair, it symbolized Jacob seeing himself in Obama and feeling equal to him. This is what makes role models valuable and important: they're able to provide us with guidance on what we should emulate in our lives. So, imagine the impact that True Jackson had on young Black girls in the early 2000s. She was able to make young Black girls feel equal to her, and she gave them the confidence to pursue their dreams and prove people wrong, just as she did.

“…I am not a woman or African American, yet, to see someone of color on television giving the orders, following her passion, and taking charge was a motivator for myself,” Matt explains in the same source. “I was not going around East Hampton, Connecticut saying, ‘Oh well True Jackson…’ as a thirteen-year-old, but the show helped add to my confidence and comfortability in stepping up to lead a group in a class project, to in a leadership position of a club, and say ‘I want to do…’ with authority not passiveness.”

Finally, True Jackson, V.P. was an impactful show for young Black women and girls because True Jackson demonstrated how effective a fictional character can be for future generations when portrayed thoughtfully. This doesn't mean that one character or show will fix all the problems in the world, but it can be a powerful influence, inspiring the next generation to be the change they want to see in the world.

In conclusion, True Jackson, V.P. was an underrated sitcom that deserved better than it was given. It's one of those shows you can reflect on years later and appreciate more as an adult than you did as a child.