By Flonzie Brown-Wright
Special to The Mississippi Link
On March 1, I was privileged to have the opportunity to speak at the Annual Black History Program for the Mississippi School for the Deaf.
Even though I am always a bit anxious prior to actually speaking, this invitation was different – much different. I had never spoken to this group before.
My anxiety level was higher and centered on the following: Will I say the right thing, will I be able to let the hearing impaired students and staff know that I am grateful to share that time with them, how will they receive me? As I thought about my grandfather, I experienced a multitude of emotions, and yes, even tears.
I was recommended by Dr. Evelyn Garner, the daughter of civil rights veteran John Garner, whom I had never met. In her research of me, she learned that my grandfather, Papa Robert Brown, lost his hearing as a teenager. Because for the first 16 years of his life, he was able to hear, he possessed the awesome ability to read lips. Consequently, as a child, communicating with him was not that difficult. In jest, I remarked that the only time Papa Rob became “real” deaf was when as a child, I would ask him for a nickel. But to be in a setting where the vast majority of the audience, including many staff persons, ranged from moderately impaired to being totally hearing impaired, was a different experience.
While waiting for my time to speak, I was absorbed as I experienced a wide array of such beautiful talent, including the preschool class presenting, “Living The Dream.” Each class from kindergarten to the high school shared in this celebration. Some presented skits; there was a tribute to B.B. King, with two students in character playing the guitar while one of King’s songs was playing in the background.
Two thoughts came to mind:
1. What if my grandfather would have had the benefit of going to school. Would his life have been better? Would he have been able to communicate and understand issues of life in order to better instruct his children? Because he was the son of a slave in the 1800s, black children could not have any education. And just think, we have such great opportunities today and too often, they are misspent.
2. The challenges that these young people face each day of their lives are normal to them, because this is all they have ever known.
These beautiful white, brown and black children were full of smiles and hugs for John and me, thus creating for me a new definition of being grateful. For I realized in a more significant way, “but for the grace of God, there go I.” I was invited to have lunch, what an honor – grateful.
After the program was over, one young man who was slightly hearing impaired commented that I inspired him to continue his education and return to the school to help other students.
He shared that his brother had killed their mother and how difficult that had been for him, but after listening to my encouraging words, he was more convinced than ever that he could make it and he would be successful.
Be the first to comment