Jeremiah Jones, a 14-year-old entrepreneur who runs his own clothing line called JYoungin Education and a recently appointed member of the Long Beach Commission on Youth and Children, lays out his apparel on a bench with his father, far left, Edward Jones, at Bixby Knolls Park.
Staff Writer
There is nothing holding back Jeremiah Jones— not even his age.
At 8 years old, he started his own clothing line when his friends and family didn’t believe he could do it. He then opened a retail store at the Pike in downtown Long Beach. Six years later, at age 14, the Hughes Middle School student and recently appointed youth city commissioner has matured along with his company.
Last year, he closed his store to focus solely on manufacturing. His clothing line includes T-shirts, beanies and hats with various cartoon characters related to sports and positive achievements. Though he realizes that not everyone is interested in his brand, Jones has never let slow sales get him down and hasn’t lost sight of his goal to run his own business.
“I love wearing clothes, and I love the style of me,” he said while sitting on a bench at Bixby Knolls Park not far away from his home. “So, I figured, if I could bring a certain style to the world, maybe somebody would like it.”
His brand, JYoungin Education, which is named after the first letter of his first name and “youngin,'” the nickname that his grandma gave him, received major notoriety early last year when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick wore a custom jacket of his on national television after a game.
When word spread on the Internet, the publicity drew the attention of TEDx, an organization that hosts forums on technology, entertainment and design, and Jones was asked to speak in Reno last year alongside some prominent figures.
Jones, who also runs a Positive Achievers Awards program that acknowledges students and athletes for their achievements, said his message to the audience during the conference was to “listen to kids.” He added, “my dad didn’t listen to me when I was younger. I had to convince him. So I was telling these adults to ‘listen to your kids, listen to your nephews’ and just listen to their ideas.”
This year, the driven and strong-willed teen said he was shocked when Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia appointed him to the Commission on Youth and Children after being nominated by 8th District Councilmember Al Austin.
Jones said it’s important for children to be involved in the city and be knowledgeable about the community they live in, adding that he plans to give a voice to his age group and hopes that adults will listen.
“I just believe that kids should know what’s going on in the city that they live in and not just live in the city,” he said. “It’s important to know your surroundings! Maybe that’s why they chose me to be the commissioner. Kids will understand me, talking from a kid’s standpoint.”
The 19-member commission, which was created in 2003 by former mayor Beverly O’Neill, is a youth-adult board consisting of 10 adults and nine youth.
The adult commissioners include one Long Beach Unified School Board (LBUSD) member, one parent of a child or children under the age of 21 and eight youth-service experts, according to the City’s website.
Each youth member is selected to represent each of the nine districts in the city. Youth commissioners must be under the age of 19 at the time of appointment.
Jones and LBUSD boardmember Megan Kerr, who also serves the 8th Council District, are the latest to be appointed to the commission while the mayor reviews applications from other youth candidates. Jones and Kerr were officially confirmed as commissioners during the City Council meeting on Jan. 6.
Kerr said in a phone interview with the Signal Tribune that she is “thrilled” to be appointed to the commission and looks forward to hearing the perspective of children in the community on how to address youth-related issues.
“It’s wonderful to have a Commission on Youth and Children, but, most importantly, having their voices present in those conversations is a great place to start,” she said. “I would hope that a lot of emphasis on what they think are good ideas would happen as well.”
Kerr said she is glad that Mayor Garcia has emphasized the need for the City to partner more with LBUSD by coming up with programs that will benefit students during and after school hours. On the commission, Kerr said she plans to discuss recent changes in public education, including the budget, enrollment and Common Core curriculum.
Jones said he plans to become more involved in city functions while keeping his ears and eyes open to the needs of his peers.
“I believe we need more playgrounds for the kids to go to, but I’m just ready to roll up my sleeves and get to work,” he said.
As for his clothing line, Jones said he plans to continue expanding his brand with a new remodeled website, adding that he hopes it will someday be a Fortune 500 company.
“I just want to be great,” he said. “I want everyone to know that there was a young man who wanted to do his dream, and, to anyone out there, if you have a dream that you want to accomplish, you can accomplish it.”
His father, Edward Jones, who helped with designing the various characters for the brand, said he wants his son to take full responsibility for his own business while having the support of his family, friends and teachers.
“I listen to this kid because, so far, everything strikes when it comes to business,” Edward Jones said. “I let him say whatever he wants to say. We want him to just keep on inspiring people.”
