Hosted by: DonTheBarber

When was I. M. Terrell at its height?

In this powerful third installment of the I. M. Terrell series, DonTheBarber explores the school’s golden age — the unforgettable era from the 1930s through the 1960s when I. M. Terrell became one of the most influential Black educational and cultural institutions in Fort Worth.

This episode dives into the atmosphere, excellence, pride, and pressure that shaped generations during segregation.

Because Terrell wasn’t just producing graduates.

It was producing leaders.
Artists.
Educators.
Athletes.
Innovators.

And during this era, the school became deeply woven into the identity of Black Fort Worth.

🎙️ In this episode:
• The rise of I. M. Terrell during segregation
• How Black Fort Worth built its own educational ecosystem
• The impact and legacy of Hazel Harvey Peace
• Ornette Coleman and the school’s musical culture
• The culture of discipline and excellence connected to Robert Hughes
• Why schools like Terrell became community anchors
• The emotional and cultural power of Black institutions during the Jim Crow era
• How Terrell evolved from important… to legendary

This episode also explores the deeper truth behind schools like I. M. Terrell:

That greatness is rarely built alone.

It’s cultivated through culture, expectation, teachers, mentorship, and community investment.

And during the golden age of Terrell, all those things came together.

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📍 Featured Historical Figures:
• Hazel Harvey Peace
• Ornette Coleman
• Robert Hughes
• Generations of I. M. Terrell students, educators, musicians, and athletes

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📍 Topics Covered:
• I. M. Terrell High School
• Fort Worth Black history
• Black education during segregation
• Jazz history
• Black excellence
• Hazel Harvey Peace
• Ornette Coleman
• Robert Hughes
• African-American institutions
• Community legacy

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If this episode moved you, taught you something, or reminded you of someone who came through Terrell…

👉 Share this episode with somebody from Fort Worth.
👉 Post it and keep the history alive.
👉 Start a conversation with your family and elders.

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Because preserving Black history starts with telling the stories before they disappear.

Hosted by DonTheBarber
“Your History. Our Legacy. Our Future.

What was I. M. Terrell High School really?

In this powerful second installment of the I. M. Terrell series, DonTheBarber goes beyond dates and buildings to explore the deeper meaning behind one of Fort Worth’s most historic Black institutions.

This episode examines how I. M. Terrell became far more than a segregated school. It became:
• A symbol of Black excellence
• A cultural landmark
• A leadership incubator
• A regional educational hub
• A community anchor during segregation

From its roots in Fort Worth’s first public education efforts for Black children in 1882…
to the formal naming of I. M. Terrell High School in 1921…
to its lasting impact on generations of students and leaders…

this episode unpacks the layered history, pride, pain, resilience, and legacy carried inside the walls of Terrell.

DonTheBarber explores:
• The origins of Black public education in Fort Worth
• Why I. M. Terrell has “multiple birthdays”
• The role Black schools played during segregation
• How Terrell shaped identity, discipline, arts, and leadership
• The emotional complexity of desegregation and closure
• Why preserving local Black history matters today

Featuring reflections on the school’s influence on Fort Worth culture, alumni legacy, and the enduring power of Black institutions, this episode reminds listeners that history is not just national — it’s deeply local.

Because I. M. Terrell wasn’t just a school.

It was a promise.

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📍 Topics Covered:
• I. M. Terrell High School
• Black education in Fort Worth
• Segregation and desegregation
• African-American history
• Fort Worth Black history
• Community institutions
• Black educational excellence
• Opal Lee
• Reby Cary
• Cultural legacy

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🎧 Listen • Share • Subscribe

If this episode spoke to you, make sure you tap in and stay connected with the movement.

👉 Follow DonTheBarber_817 on:
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• Instagram
• TikTok
• YouTube

Share the episode with somebody who loves Fort Worth history, Black culture, and stories that deserve to be remembered.

Hosted by DonTheBarber
“Your History. Our Legacy. Our Future.”

In this episode of We Got The Funk Podcast, DonTheBarber takes a powerful look at the life and legacy of Isaiah Milligan Terrell, one of the most important architects of Black education in Fort Worth history.

This is more than a history lesson. This is a story about vision, sacrifice, institution-building, and the foundation of opportunity for generations of Black families in Fort Worth.

From his roots in post-slavery Texas to becoming the leader of Fort Worth’s Black school system, I. M. Terrell represents what it means to build something lasting in the face of exclusion. Don breaks down how Terrell helped create a path for Black students when no real system existed and why his story still matters today.

In this episode, we cover:

• Who I. M. Terrell was and why his name matters
• His early life in Grimes County, Texas
• The legacy of his father, Alexander Terrell, and the significance of freedom, work, and ownership
• Terrell’s education at Straight University in New Orleans
• How he became Fort Worth’s first major Black educational leader
• The church-based beginnings of Black education in Fort Worth
• The founding of the East Ninth Street Colored School
• His partnership with his wife, Marcelite Landry Terrell
• How he trained and multiplied Black educators across the city
• His rise from classroom teacher to superintendent of Fort Worth’s Black schools
• Why his impact reached far beyond education into institution-building and community legacy

This episode reminds us that before there were modern opportunities, there were people who built systems from scratch so others could rise.

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Listen, share, and help keep these stories alive.

If this episode taught you something, made you think, or made you proud, send it to somebody else. Our history deserves to be heard.

#WeGotTheFunk #IMTerrell #FortWorthHistory #BlackHistory #BlackEducation #DonTheBarber #TexasHistory #CommunityLegacy #CulturalHistory #FortWorth