Featured Photo: Jay Michael Martin Jr., public speaker and multimedia personality, talking to the crowd at the first ENTICE Series event that occurred Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2026, at the University of Tennessee at Martin’s University Center. (Pacer Photo / Rose Evelyn)
Jay Michael Martin Jr. didn’t come to the University of Tennessee at Martin to lecture students; he came to sit with them, and cook.
During his visit on Feb. 3, Martin shared how cooking became a grounding force in his life and a tool for mental wellness, which helped him navigate trauma, grief and healing. He told students that Feb. 3rd carried special meaning for him, marking two years since he committed to therapy and began intentionally working on himself. He has since completed more than 100 therapy sessions.
“The work I did in private allows me now to be here in public,” Martin said.
Raised in a home shaped by addiction and trauma, Martin said his grandmother became one of his greatest supporters, often asking him what kind of future he wanted, even when life felt overwhelming.
After growing and falling short to mental challenges again, that reflection eventually led him back to therapy and toward forgiveness, which he described as “the doorway to freedom.”
Martin spoke openly about loss, including the death of his grandmother in 2020 and his mother in 2024 to addiction. Grief, he said, temporarily pulled him away from the kitchen, but cooking eventually drew him back, reminding him it was still central to his healing.
In the kitchen, Martin found a way to bring people together and create space for honest conversations, something he craved for growing up.
“For me, my mom taught me how to bring people together with food,” he said. “If I can feed you, I can get you in a space where we can have a conversation.”
Martin encouraged students to be intentional with their friendships and to recognize the power of presence. He urged them to put their phones down, check in on one another and remember that people often hide their struggles.
He also highlighted Active Minds, a national mental health organization, and its ASK method (acknowledge, support and keep in touch) as a simple way to support friends.
Martin said his mission is to remind people that their voices matter, regardless of their background or trauma, and that healing doesn’t have to wait.
“Start talking now,” he told students. “Don’t heal in silence.”
