We were lucky to catch up with Markeith Jackson-jones recently and have shared our conversation below.

Markeith, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Well, my origin story in the legal field is sort of one of circumstance. I’ve pretty much always been involved or interested in social advocacy. Even while in grade school, I served as a student advocate in my own right. At the time, I had people in my life who were attorneys, so when something at school would occur, and a student would be unjustly reprimanded, students would come to me to confide in me but also so that I could utilize the connections I had to reverse suspensions or expulsions that should have never occurred. It worked. I am now 8-9 years out of high school, and I can’t remember exactly how many disciplinary actions we got overturned.

Fast forward to adulthood, I had an unsavory circumstance with legal trouble, and it made me realize that the fallout only occurred because I was a Black man. Since then, I have made it my mission to be an advocate for legal justice/equity. I stopped attending school for my Bachelor of Science in Dance and went into a Legal Studies degree at Herzing University. I graduated from Herzing in 2023, and I have since started school for my Juris Doctor to become a legal defense attorney for those who are underprivileged and are susceptible to becoming victims of a biased legal system.

In the meantime, I serve as an independent paralegal in the state of Michigan. Because I am a paralegal, I can’t practice law or act on behalf of my clients, but I do assist in legal research and help them understand the implications of the law. So that is my mission, and that is what I do this for!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

This question is a very multi-faceted one. As I stated previously, I did have a non-ideal run-in with the law, and that is what sparked my legal rights advocacy journey specifically. With that being said, I continued to pursue it because I was able to intern with a Black-owned, built, and operated law firm that handled litigation with police misconduct. While there, I fell in love with all of my duties. I loved doing case research, although we did deal with wrongful death, so autopsy reports were hard to stomach, but even still, I knew what I was doing was important, so it made it all the while.

To answer about my personal life, I am a 26-year-old Black, gay-identifying man who does about every performing and fine art imaginable. I was born and raised in Detroit, MI, although briefly living in Tampa, I have lived in various parts of Michigan otherwise. I did not come from a privileged background; I come from a familial tree riddled with mental illness and poverty. I was a kid who was constantly moving because my childhood home was in disrepair. I have lived and attended grade school in every part of the city throughout Pre-K-12. I went to 3 different high schools, four middle schools, and two elementary schools. I have dealt with my mental illness battles and was hospitalized twice during grade school. This played a really big part in how I was perceived by my peers in my earlier years, and it was a struggle to say the least.

How does that tie into my career?
Well, that’s the basis of my passion. I understand what it feels like to be counted out, abandoned, etc., so as a part of my paralegal services, I help research familial/civic law and tort law. I’ve assisted people with their name changes, helped give people a better understanding of state benefit requirements, etc. You might be wondering why I didn’t mention criminal law. The reason I don’t involve myself with criminal law research for my consumers while I am in the capacity of a paralegal is because those matters are truly on a case by case basis, and regardless of the statute, a criminal case can be made or broken in ways that I do not have the legal authority to advise. It is very easy to cross the UPL(Unauthorized Practice of Law) threshold with criminal law services, and that is a line I don’t wish to teeter.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Whew, in the words of 24KGolden, “Every story ends, but it ain’t over ’til it’s done.
Ain’t too late to change your life and be exactly what you want,” and those are the words I live by now. A good portion of the population has been socialized to believe that circumstances are permanent. Some people think that they’re too old to start something, others believe they have too much emotional turmoil to do what they’ve always dreamed. Then there are others who just believe they just can’t. That is not true, and it has never been true. We are truly the creators of our universe, and you can mold it to be whatever you want.

The idea that I’m not capable of cosmic-level greatness is something I had to unlearn. In short, as an adolescent, I suffered all forms of abuse and trauma known to mankind. One of the tactics was getting me to doubt I could fulfill or achieve what I desired. I escaped my abusive ties. I became a spiritualist in 2018, and this led me down the path of Hoodoo, IFA, rootwork, and spirituality. Since 2018, I have been working on my self-concept, and I have learned you can do any and everything you put your mind to.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I recently deleted my previous social media accounts because It was time for a new start. However, with the following I did have, I simply posted content that was true to myself. I didn’t post for others I posted what I felt called to, and my followings gradually increased. There isn’t a formula for how to build because social media has changed drastically. Everything has an automated and adaptive algorithm now. It’s possible to get 2 million views on one post and a single view each on the rest.

That doesn’t translate to it being a lost cause though; it just means that if follower volume is what you’re working towards, the only advice I can offer on that front is to post your content no matter how fledgling it may be.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/keithfall
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr.achiever313
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markeith-jackson-jones-a8676633b?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app