Mississippi Native: Terrence Zebedee Johnson

"Mississippi has shaped my passion for storytelling. My granddaddy’s words, 'take what you got, make what you want out of it,' come to mind."

What does it mean to call Mississippi home? Why do people choose to leave or live in this weird, wonderful, and sometimes infuriating place? Filmmaker Terrence Zebedee Johnson has often been called an “old soul,” which he considers a compliment considering the special connection he shares with the elders in his family. His current multi-media project, “The Steps of My Ancestors,” is inspired by the stories he grew up hearing as a child, and the ones he uncovered through his own research and travels. The project aims “to encourage conversations around Black ancestry and Black history. It’s a journey, both physical and emotional, to retrace the steps of my ancestors and uncover the places they called home.” Today, Terrence describes the deep family and ancestral ties that keep him rooted in Mississippi.

Terrence Zebedee Johnson lives in Jackson, Mississippi.

Where are you from?

Whenever I am asked where I’m from, I say Jackson, MS, but I was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I grew up in South Jackson where everything started for me.

How long have you lived in Mississippi?

I’ve lived in Mississippi for almost thirty years, with a few years in New Orleans and Lafayette, Louisiana. I also lived in Gallatin, Tennessee, for almost four years. Mississippi is the birthplace of both of my parents. My Mom, Betty, is from Jackson and my dad, Zebedee, is from Hollandale.

What does “home” mean to you? How does Mississippi fit into that definition?

My definition of home has evolved over the years. In the past, it meant location. Now it's found through my senses, memories, and experiences. The smell of black-eyed peas, cornbread, and candied yams cooked by my grandmother calling me to the table. It’s old school church with wooden pews and long red cushions that would slide, the summer heat mixing with the Holy Spirit, fanning with a church fan bent in the middle from frequent use with Jesus or a funeral home name inscribed on it.

Home is birthdays at my grandparents' house where everybody regardless of age had a party, complete with a box of fried chicken, a sheet cake, and Blue Bell ice cream. It’s hearing chants of “Fire’d up J-State, Fire'd up, hey!” at a Jackson State football game, sitting in the horseshoe with my parents in matching Nike wind suits as thousands of blue and white pompoms swung back and forth. Mississippi is found in the small details. The red clay, the unpredictable weather, the gatherings, the people.

Mississippi slows you down in the best way. Reminiscent of the soil, rich in history. Even though harvesting parts of it can be painful. A balance of what used to be and what can be. A place where many people have roots, but not everyone claims.

Terrence with his mother and grandmother.

How have you cultivated community in Mississippi? Who are the people who have made you feel rooted here?

My sense of community began on “the hill” which is Dees Road off Terry Road in South Jackson. A family community where we could walk down the road to our “kinfolk” house. This is where I heard stories about my grandparents' house being moved from Terry Road on an eighteen-wheeler on 4th of July weekend in 1965. My Mom telling me about barnyard wallpaper in the school they lived in. Big Papa, Willie Johnson, Sr., riding a horse called Sandy and being a Black cowboy. I remember riding bus 87992 with my cousins from what used to be Lee Elementary back then to my grandparents' house on the hill.

A major component of my upbringing was New Canney Creek M.B. Church. It was the village that helped to raise me. My grandfather, Isaac Johnson, was a deacon that loved his church, family, and community. He is still is a major influence in my life. I still can hear him praying "As we singing praises with the angels down through the ages,” on bended knee. He stressed education to his grandchildren often saying, “I don’t want to hear nothing but the pencil hitting that paper.” To honor his legacy after his death in 2011, I founded the Isaac Johnson Memorial Scholarship Fund which awarded scholarship money to graduating seniors in the church and recognized the youth for their educational achievements.

My grandmother, Getrude Johnson, is ninety-three-years young. We call her Granny or “G.” She is my heart and I love spending time with her. She is our matriarch and a living library. It started in 2011 through conversations with Granny at the kitchen table. Listening to stories about her and granddaddy courting. Attempting to write down notes to keep pace with her words.

Mississippi creates natural storytellers. Our family gatherings are filled with laughs, impersonations, and listening to relatives tell great stories. Last year, I served on the family reunion committee. Sitting around my mom’s dining room table, the meetings became history sharing sessions where new discoveries were made. For the welcome night, I created a slideshow with family photos I had never seen, like my mom as a young student. I wanted everyone to see themselves or someone they knew. Watching their reactions as they entered the room was priceless. People pointing out relatives, telling stories, going live on their phones, or standing taking it all in. Representation matters and they saw themselves reflected in the faces on the screen.

Mississippi has shaped my passion for storytelling. My granddaddy’s words, “take what you got, make what you want out of it,” come to mind. The best stories can come from what’s already around us if we are willing to do a little work.

What’s the weirdest question or assumption you’ve encountered about Mississippi (or about you as a Mississippian) by someone who’s never been here?

I’ve heard people say Mississippians talk slower, or assume that we are uneducated and can’t handle ourselves in larger cities. Movies and media tend to portray country dialects and stereotypical southern ways as if that’s all there is to Mississippi.

From left to right starting at the bottom row: Terrence, Devin, Gertrude, Nicholas, Isaac, Casey, Betty, Mia, Irene, Lucille, Candice, Janeca, Melvin, Sylvester, and Beau.

How has living in Mississippi affected your identity and your life’s path?

I’ve always had a special connection to elders, likely because of the consistent presence of my grandparents in my life. I cherish their wisdom, find joy in their unfiltered conversations, and feel privileged to hear their stories. The tales of struggle, humor, and survival. Spending time listening to their stories makes them feel valued. I'm often told that I have an old soul or act like an old man, and I've learned to embrace that because it reflects those no longer here.

My love of storytelling came early. I remember having a Panasonic camcorder with those MiniDV tapes, recording everything. One of my first “films,” was a middle school class project I made at Granny’s house with my cousin Devin. It was rough, but the memories of capturing moments and the joy of creating stay with me.

As an introvert, I’m inherently observant and deeply listen to people. When I’m listening, I see images, almost like watching a movie in real time. Writing became a method for me to process my observations and insights. My time as a reporter for The Reflector at Mississippi State gave my storytelling foundation and taught me how to conduct interviews. It also gave me a window into experiences I would not encounter otherwise.

Story has been a central theme in my life. Guiding others to change, tell, or to embrace their own stories. This passion has manifested through various roles: counselor, therapist, professor, coordinator, mentor, and now as a writer, historian, and filmmaker. I've gained a deeper understanding of people's lives helping them feel seen, heard, and understood. Now my focus is internal, learning to embrace my own story through uncovering the lives of my ancestors. Understanding that history can be a tool to improve the present.

What is something that you’ve learned about Mississippi only by living here? In what ways has Mississippi lived up to your expectations?

Mosquitoes are huge. When I was young, I would ride with my dad on visits to Hollandale, asleep on the seat only to be awakened by the sound of mosquitoes hitting the windshield like raindrops. He would stop at a gas station in Yazoo City to squeegee them off. They would cover the entire windshield.

Mississippi has some of the best food you could imagine, more than likely at a gas station. Getting a cinnamon roll, pineapple ice cream, a Penn’s chicken on a stick, and a box of taffy at the Mississippi State Fair.

Terrence speaking for Together Sumner’s Black History program in Gallatin, Tennessee at the Shalom Zone. Pictures of his grandfather on-screen. Photo from February 27, 2024.

Do you ever consider moving away someday? Does a sense of duty keep you rooted here? Do you have a “tipping point”?

While teaching at Mississippi College, I had the opportunity to attend a service-learning trip to Jamaica with a group of students. It became a turning point in my life. Being in a different county yet still feeling a sense of home. An ancestral connection like I had been there before. A feeling I can’t put into words, but I have been chasing ever since.

I did move away for a time to Gallatin, Tennessee. It has a very Mississippi feel to it from the hospitality, food, and the genuineness of the people. It is definitely another home for me and I have been unofficially adopted. I participated in a Civil Rights Pilgrimage sponsored by Together Sumner in 2023 to Selma, Tuskegee, Montgomery, and Birmingham, Alabama that impacted me deeply. A bus trip with people of various races and ages coming together to experience Black history. Uncovering new insights and perspectives through personal connection.

One connective thread for me came from Mrs. Velma Brinkley talking about Rosenwald Schools during a Black history banner walking tour in Gallatin. Without hearing this information, a major piece of our family story would have remained disconnected. Rosenwald Schools began as a partnership between Booker T. Washington and Julius Rosenwald who was CEO of Sears and Roebuck. In 1914, The agreement began to build six schools in Alabama for young black children to enhance their education. It soon spread across into various states including Mississippi.

What do you wish the rest of the country understood about Mississippi?

Certain traditions are found here that you typically don’t find in other places. Hospitality is ingrained in you which creates a certain warmth and care for people. Speaking to random strangers as if you know them. Having play cousins or aunts and uncles that are not blood relatives. Stopping on the side of the road as a funeral procession passes by. Yes ma’am, no ma’am, yes sir, and no sir. “Making” groceries is going to buy items from the store.

There are several levels of goodbye. The first one occurs in the house, the next as you’re walking the person to the car, another as they enter the car, then while at the passenger window, and finally waving goodbye as the car pulls off. It could take an hour to fully say goodbye. There may even be a follow-up call afterwards to tell the person how much you enjoyed the visit.

Do you have a favorite Mississippi writer, artist, or musician who you think everyone needs to know about?

The Canton Spirituals is a gospel quartet group founded in Canton, MS. As a child, I remember attending the annual 4th of July concert in Canton on the square. Everyone would bring their lawn chairs to sit down and enjoy. The Canton Spirituals would come on stage as the final act. As soon as the bass line of “Mississippi Poor Boy” started everybody would be on their feet. It was electric.

Big K.R.I.T. is a rapper from Meridian, MS. His 2010 mixtape K.R.I.T. Wuz Here was my first introduction to him. In 2019, he recorded an interview with his dad, a Father’s Day conversation between a father and son. Inspired by Big K.R.I.T., I desired to interview Dad during the Thanksgiving holidays in 2021 to hear about his life in his own words. Unfortunately, he passed away on November 5, 2021. I did, however, honor him by writing in an article that was published for Mississippi Free Press entitled, “Remembering My Dad, Zebedee Johnson: Awe-Inspiring, Authentic, and Imperfect.”

In the article, I shared private moments between father and son that gave a glimpse into our relationship. People resonated with it because of their relationship with Dad or enduring the process of grief. Initially, I wrote it to help myself heal. However, it became a connector between me and those who knew my dad. It started as words on a page, then a blog and Facebook post, and eventually, with encouragement from Donna Ladd of Mississippi Free Press it was published. All from the power of sharing my story. I now go by full name, Terrence Zebedee Johnson, to keep Dad’s name alive.

From left to right, Terrence’s mother Betty Johnson, grandmother Gertrude Johnson, myself Terrence, Kenya Carter who received the scholarship that year, her mother Rose McGinnis now, and our former Pastor Rev. Ernest Slaughter who passed away from COVID-19 in 2021. Photo from June 11, 2016.

If you had one billion dollars to invest in Mississippi, how would you spend your money?

The majority of the money would be spent in the city of Jackson, specifically in South Jackson. Funds would be spent to repurpose the recently vacant Jackson Public School buildings into mixed use developments servicing the specific needs of each community. A portion of the funds would address redeveloping homes in these areas, creating safe and affordable living. Directing more resources into non-profit organizations who understand the needs of the community but lack adequate funding. The creation of future focused career opportunities for the next generation so they could thrive pursuing their passions.

What or who do you want to shamelessly promote? (It can absolutely be a project you’re working on, or something you are involved in.)

My grandmother’s stories became the foundation of my passion to uncover more information. Her eyes light up as she talks about growing up, her classmates, and memories of the family. When I’m on the right track she agrees by nodding her head and saying, “correct.” These stories help weave the past into the present. Stitching the words of our ancestors into new discoveries. One of her revelations was that she attended a Rosenwald School, a fact I later connected to Mom’s childhood memories of living in one of these schools. This hidden family story became a thread to connect Gallatin to Jackson.

The Steps of My Ancestors is a multi-platform project designed to encourage conversations around Black ancestry and Black history. It’s a journey, both physical and emotional, to retrace the steps of my ancestors and uncover the places they called home. Walking the same land that contains vital pieces of our family history I aim to preserve. By gathering fragments of stories, documents, photos, genealogy, historical events, and family artifacts to construct a living quilt.

But the journey not only includes my ancestors, it is about honoring others ancestors as well. Through a companion podcast, I’ll share conversations with people I’ve met along the way, hearing other inspiring stories of Black ancestry. The project will also have in-person and virtual experiences creating spaces to share their own connections from the past to the present.

This project has been transformational. Not something I’m working on, but something working on me. Challenging me to become a student again, teaching me more about Black history than I ever was taught in a classroom or from a book. History is alive, showing me that Black history does not begin or end in February. Our ancestors live through us. Ancestral work is understanding who you are and where you come from. I’m on the path to do both, and I encourage people to join me.

Check out Steps of My Ancestors on Facebook, Youtube, Substack, and Instagram. Watch a trailer here.

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Dr. Terrence Zebedee Johnson blends his academic and professional background with a passion for storytelling and filmmaking. With a Doctorate in Professional Counseling and extensive teaching experience, he has spent over fifteen years empowering individuals to explore identity, resilience, and cultural legacy. As a professor, Dr. Johnson designed innovative courses that encouraged self-reflection and creative expression, including an entrepreneurial approach to counseling. This foundation informs his current work as a filmmaker and writer, where he explores personal and historical narratives to inspire connection and transformation. His upcoming documentary project, The Steps of My Ancestors, is a deeply personal journey into his own heritage, intertwining storytelling with a commitment to preserving Black history. A contributor to Mississippi Free Press, Dr. Johnson’s essays delve into themes of grief, self-awareness, and honoring one’s roots. Through film, writing, and teaching, Dr. Johnson continues to inspire others to excavate their own stories, empowering individuals and communities to embrace the threads that connect us all.

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