Daily Inspiration: Meet Sasha Jackson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sasha Jackson.

Hi Sasha, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My name is Sasha Jackson, I am a ScreenWriter born in Thousand Oaks, CA and raised by my grandparents in the I.E. (Perris, CA). I am a wife, and mother of 6. Writing for television and film has always been a passion of mine. At a very young age I discovered this passion through journaling and creative writing assignments in school. Journaling has been a very therapeutic tool, it’s where I’ve been able to share my rawest thoughts and feelings without judgement.

I am currently in the developing stages of my first writing project, Heavy. This television series is based on true events which will highlight the struggles of my mothers life growing up in the entertainment industry, the choices that led her to a lifestyle of white collar crime and the challenges and traumas we’ve both faced due to her incarceration.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I was born in the 80’s and during that time, especially for young black kids you either had a “text book” family, or you didn’t. In my case, I didn’t. Both of my parents were a part of families who were in the entertainment industry. My maternal grandfather was a pioneer in the doo-wop era, born and raised in Pasadena, CA becoming a local star of his community and touring the world and leaving his mark on the talents of Rock and Roll legends such as Jimi Hendrix, and Little Richard. My father, born in Chicago, IL was the nephew of Soul Train creator, Don Cornelius, and Sam Cooke.

During that time my parents lifestyle choices didn’t have room for me. They became caught up in the “industry life” which led to fast money, drugs, and crime. To ensure my safety, my mother made the choice of leaving me with my grandmother. Although it prevented me from being put into the foster care system, and it was not her intention, her decision left me with feelings of shame, embarrassment, anger, anxiety and abandonment. I found it difficult to relate to my peers who had a “normal” family dynamic because my life was the complete opposite. Being raised by my grandparents often left me feeling out of place. My father was completely absent and my mother was incarcerated or avoiding imprisonment the majority of my life which contributed to her absence as well.

Looking back at my childhood I realized there were absolutely no resources for me or programs that helped me mentally and emotionally deal with that or the trauma I experienced with having absent parents, so I struggled a lot in school and in relationships.

As I began the process of writing Heavy, I utilized my writing as an opportunity to get to know my mother on a deeper level. Through interviewing her and having deep conversations, I was able to learn that my mothers childhood was also less than perfect, and she had a lot of unresolved trauma as well. As I got to know her on that level, I began to understand who she was at that time, as well as now being able to better appreciate her growth into who she is today. The purpose of this project is to heal wounds that have been with the both of us for many years, and break the generational curses in our family.

The challenges that I’ve faced in doing this project has been uncovering all of the emotions I’ve learned to bottle up in regards to it. It has been an emotional rollercoaster but through counseling, writing, and assisting others in their journey, I’ve learned how to unpack, let go, and heal.

The lesson that I’ve learned is we are not our circumstances, regardless of the cards you may have been dealt or your path in life, strive to be the best version of yourself! You will come out of it resilient!

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
With a renewed outlook on who my mother is, what’s she’s gone through and what led to her choices, our journey inspired me to extend our healing with a docu-series. What began as a desire to share our story, in hopes of touching lives of those who may have had a similar experience, we developed “Project Heavy”, Unlocking the mental chains of incarceration through healing!

Our mission is to provide mental & emotional support by offering several forms of therapy and resources to families who have experienced trauma caused by incarceration. With the help of a licensed therapist who works with individuals who have been released from prison and are readjusting to society, our Docu-Series will not only share our story, but the story of several other individuals and families who share similar struggles and are open to tackling the trauma it has caused to their mental health, and begin the healing process.

My husband and I have also developed a non profit organization, Mixed Behavior Foundation, which is inspired by our blended family and our traumas we’ve both experienced in our childhood. With the focus of youth and family wellness and mental health awareness. We strive to provide positive outlets, quality instruction and training to youth between the ages of 4 and 19 years old, as well as provide family support services. Serving the Northern and Southern California regions with enhancing and developing the passion and skills of youth, in the areas of athletics, visual and performing arts, STEM, and leadership. Our program strives to strengthen our youth with a sense of competitive spirit, humility, and perseverance by instilling positive influence that will carry them into their adult lives.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
We are only given one life to live. Our choices lay the foundation to the roots of our family, the impact we have in our community and the outlook on the legacy you leave behind.

Take risks that inspire others to be the best versions of themselves, instill hope to those who often feel hopeless. My purpose in this life is to leave a mark of love, hope and inspiration. Without taking risks I would have never had the courage to heal and pull my family out of trauma.

I am at a much better space mentally and emotionally because I took the risk of being vulnerable and sharing my story. I am excited for where this journey has led me so far and where it will continue to take me as I move forward with my projects.

Contact Info:

• Email: Mixedbehaviorfoundation@gmail.com
• Website: Mixedbehaviorfoundation.org
• Instagram: Sasha_elizabeth._
• Other: Mixedbehavior_foundation

Image Credits
Photo shoot inspired by the poem “The rose that grew from concrete”- Tupac Shakur Photographer: Mandela Castaneda @majorkeeper Make up artist: Silvina Lopez @mammabear321 Hair: Denisha Delaney @hollywoodhairboss