Meet Janica Terrell | Albinism Advocate

We had the good fortune of connecting with Janica Terrell and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Janica, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I’m southern Texas girl—born and raised—and my upbringing/background impacted who I am greatly because I was raised on faith. I know that’s something that is a bit cliche nowadays, but when you look at my life and where I’ve come from you’ll see that faith is so much more than a hashtag or conversational peace—it’s a way of life that literally challenges the seen versus the unseen.

Growing up, I was born with a rare genetic condition called albinism (I am one of two sisters in my family with this condition) and I was born in poverty. Despite this, my parents worked hard to raise us in an environment that promoted “I can” instead of “I can’t.” I remember seeing my dad waking up early in the wee hours of the morning to begin his work day so that he could provide for his family, and then there was my mom—striving hard to teach her kids at home during a time when others thought doing such a thing like homeschooling was asinine.

Those are some of the things that shaped me for real. It wasn’t easy, but seeing the grit that my parents possessed is something that still rocks me to my core today (they are absolutely amazing). Back when my sisters and I were born/growing up, little was known or understood albinism in the Black community. The expectations for our survival/livelihood were quite slim, but because of God, were able to overcome every setback we faced and that is what brought me to where I am today.

Philippians 4:13 is a favorite scripture of mine because it is my testimony. Because of Jesus Christ I really was able to do all things(even when I didn’t believe in myself)—and I still can! Despite my non-melanated skin or rapidly moving eyes—God has blessed me to accomplish things I never thought possible—and it’s only the beginning!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The thing that I am most excited about with the advocacy that I do for Albinism is that I am able to uplift, inspire, and encourage others just like myself. Before I began this journey, I suffered greatly with low self-esteem. I hated being an albino/person with Albinism. I was also angry with God because I didn’t understand why He created me this way. Over time, as I began to grow in my faith, I saw the blessing in being created with little to, no melanin (the cause of Albinism)—and I also realized how blessed I was to have loving parents and siblings who encouraged me to be all I could be despite the obstacles I faced with having this condition.

My advocacy, No Melanin, began because as I studied my condition; I found that there were others out there with similar stories like mine. They, too, struggled with low self-esteem, bullying, pressures of life, etc and this commonality led to me sharing my testimony and encouraging others to do the same. Today, you can find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter sharing amazing people with Albinism as well as the accompanying accomplishments that we achieve throughout the week. I also share information about Albinism from the perspective of myself, a person who has been living with this condition since 1992! Additionally, I share scientific information from trusted resources for educational purposes because there’s a lot of misinformation about Albinism EVERYWHERE!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Everything is bigger and better in Texas so there’s no way we would be able to cover everything there is to do here, but since I’m a style/fashion fanatic and foodie one of the day’s would have to begin with breakfast at The Pancake House and end with Pappadeaux’s! Also, I’m a native of Dallas so all shopping would be at the one and only NorthPark Mall and we wold make a few trips to Starbucks for refueling!

Aside from that, Dallas has many great attractions/things to do, so if my BFF were to come between September/October I would take them to one of the best events that Dallas hosts each year, The State Fair of Texas! There is (you guessed it) TONS of food, rides, prizes, games, museums, and BIG TEX—so it would definitely be a fun-filled week full of laughter, memories, and joy!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
“The Hiding Place” by Corrie ten Boon really shaped my life as a young girl and served as a building light/resource into the woman I have become today.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nomelanin/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/nomelanin_?lang=en

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/pg/nomelanin/posts/

Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCNLZfgSpifl9hmvXAp49Egg

Image Credits
I took them myself.