From abusive foster families to violent racism to extreme depression, dark experiences tortured Terrell Jackson for most of his life, but he found a way to turn these trying times into the fuel that powers his dream of promoting, supporting and connecting Black creatives.

In this conversation, we explore what life is like as an orphan, including the impact of physical abuse and nepotism; Terrell’s journey traveling from family to family; and struggles with  not feeling “normal” and life-long anxiety.

Next, we dive into Terrell’s Air Force career; talk about the immense, racially-charged culture shock he faced moving from California to Florida in the early 90’s; and some near-death attacks and internal squad corruption he faced for being a Black man.

Then, we zoom in on the extremely severe depression Terrell fell into during the pandemic, causing him to lose over 60 pounds and his grasp on reality; discuss his journey to crawling out of the darkness; and talk about his initiative with The Color BLCK, and how his mission to increase the representation and promotion of Black talents was ultimately born out of his own dark story.

You can follow Terrell/The Color BLCK on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Disclaimer: Not Your Average GOAT is produced and edited by Teisha Gillespie with music by Anton Vlasov and Serge Quadrado. All content is copyrighted and should not be reproduced, recreated or reused without explicit permission. Please visit NotYourAverageGOAT.org/Contact for questions.