Terrie Williams: Legacy, Love, and the Cost of Carrying It All

By Charles Mattocks | Ravoke.com

How I First Met Terrie Williams

I met Terrie Williams when I was about eighteen years old. I was just getting my start in acting, had a good agent, and New York was a hotbed for young Black talent. I had heard about Terrie simply by being in and around the business. Her name carried weight.

I want to say I called her office almost every day, trying to get a few moments with her. I felt that with someone like Terrie on my side, especially as I was beginning to book some great projects, I could easily get the recognition I needed to truly explode my career.

Ultimately, I made it in to see her.

We sat down and talked for about twenty minutes. To be honest, she was simply showing me love. If you knew Terrie, and if you understood who she was and what she stood for, you knew she was about giving back and helping others. That was her nature.

Of course, I didn’t have a dime to hire her as a PR professional. At the time, she was representing some of the biggest names in the world: Prince, Janet Jackson, Russell Simmons, Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Johnnie L. Cochran, Rev. Al Sharpton, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Sally Jessy Raphael, Time Warner, HBO, AT&T, the NBA, and Essence Communications Partners.

What Terrie did do for me was inspire me.

Being Brought Into the Room

There were times when major industry events were happening, and Terrie would bring me as her guest. Because of her, I met many of the movers and shakers in television and film during that era—from Rosie Perez to the legendary actor and director Bill Duke.

Bill Duke would later inspire me to make my first series on my own. Bill and I went to lunch in Beverly Hills, and he said to me, “Charles, do it on your own. Own it. Don’t look for any network if you don’t need one.” That is exactly what I did.

Terrie influenced so many Black women and men that if you are over forty and talk to anyone in public relations, everyone knows her name and her impact. Many will tell you they worked for her or with her and will sing her praises. She was a trailblazer and a maverick in her time.

Walking Away and What We Didn’t Know

I recall reaching out to Terrie many years later after I had gone on to star in some great projects. I simply wanted to share the news with her. During that conversation, she told me she was leaving the business, or rather, that she was focusing on her mother’s health issues.

At the time, I had no idea that Terrie herself was dealing with deep personal struggles that she later spoke about publicly in her writing and advocacy work. I didn’t dig deep enough then. I have been trying to find and reach out to Terrie. I have heard rumors of her dealing with dementia and can’t confirm it, but on a YouTube post on a video about Terrie someone mentioned this. I hope this is not the case, but I heard this from a few sources.

Terrie would later answer the question about why she walked away from the spotlight herself through her own work on mental health and healing.

Terrie Williams in Her Own Words

Reflecting on her life, Terrie shared candidly about her internal battles:

“Reflecting on my life, I realize that mild feelings of depression began creeping up when I was in college… Deep down I felt that something was wrong, but like so many other walking wounded, I didn’t quite know what it was.” 

She acknowledged the tension between caring for others and ignoring her own needs:

“Even throughout my career as a high-profile public relations entrepreneur, I took care of everyone else around me while neglecting my own needs.” 

And she urged people to speak up about their pain:

“What must happen is that we must finally come out of the shadows of our depression, speak about it, and get professional help that addresses our root trauma.” 

Terrie has also been quoted underscoring the unique pain and resilience in the Black community:

“To begin the healing process, we must be honest and candid in our discussions about race relations in America… Healing starts with us now! We matter. … Black lives matter.” 

Her book Black Pain itself drew powerful testimonials from cultural leaders: Patti LaBelle called it a work that “pushes us to give a voice to the pain without passing it on to others,” and Bishop T.D. Jakes praised it for helping those who battle the disease and their loved ones. 

The Pain We Don’t Talk About

Terrie understood how unaddressed pain shows up in our communities:
“We tend to see the symptoms of our sickness once they’re out of control, in the daily headlines reporting violence and crime. But at home, at work, in school—everywhere—all kinds of destructive behavior toward ourselves or others is sounding the alarm on our unspeakable pain.” 

She explained how people cope when they don’t heal:
“We self-soothe our emotional and psychological wounds through eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, working 24/7, excessive gambling or shopping, promiscuous sex, hiding from the world….”

Her Work, Her Impact, Her Reach

If you don’t know Terrie Williams’ work, here is some of what she is best known for.

As an author, she wrote four successful books. Her first, The Personal Touch: What You Really Need to Succeed in Today’s Fast-Paced Business World (Warner Books), became a perennial business bestseller. Her second, Stay Strong: Simple Life Lessons for Teens (Scholastic), was adopted into school curricula and launched the Stay Strong Foundation, a national nonprofit serving youth.

A Plentiful Harvest: Creating Balance and Harmony Through the Seven Living Virtues focused on helping people reconnect with balance, heritage, and the needs of their souls.

Her final book, Black Pain: It Just Looks Like We’re Not Hurting (Scribner, 2008), detailed the untold story of depression among African Americans—sparking an unprecedented national dialogue around mental health and stigma. 

Terrie was also one of the country’s most sought-after speakers, working with Fortune 500 companies and organizations including NYU, The New School, the NFL, NBA, and NHL.

She began her career as a social worker with dreams of entrepreneurship. Jazz legend Miles Davis encouraged her to start a business, just as Deborah Thigpen gave me my first opportunity. Terrie always credited those who helped her along the way.

In 2018, she closed The Terrie Williams Agency after thirty successful years.

Where is Terrie now and why this matters

As I’ve been trying to locate Terrie, I came across a post on YouTube suggesting she may be dealing with dementia. I haven’t been able to confirm this and will continue to look into it, so please take this as unverified information for now. We truly hope that isn’t the case and will keep everyone posted as we learn more.

I was recently catching up with Burgess Harrison, who also worked closely with Terrie, and we shared many fond memories. I am still actively trying to learn more about her current whereabouts and am reaching out in hopes of connecting with Terrie herself or those close to her, so her story can be told properly and with care.

Terrie was speaking openly about mental health long before it was widely accepted or discussed. She put herself out there at a time when she was at the height of her career. In the Black community, these conversations are often avoided—we don’t always share publicly, and support has historically been limited. That’s why her voice, courage, and story matter so deeply.

A Call to Action and a Full-Circle Moment

I am hoping that anyone reading this who knows Terrie or worked with her will reach out so we can gather these stories—stories of how Terrie changed lives.

I hope to find the right people to help tell her story, and I hope to see Terrie before any condition makes that impossible.

The days of Terrie Williams and the legends she represented may feel long gone. What we can do now is focus on creating new heroes who inspire the next generation.

At the end of the day, it’s about what we leave behind.

Twenty years later, here I am—coming full circle—writing about a woman who inspired me, opened doors for me, and helped me make a name for myself and feed my family simply by saying:

“Charles, I have a few minutes for you.”

That was Terrie Williams.

About the Author

Charles Mattocks is an award-winning filmmaker, actor, author, and global health advocate. The nephew of reggae legend Bob Marley, Charles has devoted his life to raising awareness about chronic illness, health equity, and personal empowerment. His groundbreaking television projects — including Reversed and Eight Days — have aired on major networks and inspired audiences worldwide. Through his work in film, writing, and health media, Charles continues to champion wellness and the importance of evidence-based care across communities.