Do It Already
I attended a charter K – 8 school in Detroit, where I was never a good student according to backpack while I went to the bathroom. She decided that because I was not organized to her liking she would exclude me from the prestigious 5th and 6th grade picnic at Belle Isle. I remember being so disappointed in myself and not understanding why I just couldn’t be the teachers. I was always in the principal’s office for some behavioral issue and didn’t have a lot of friends. I frequently felt left out and picked on by the teachers. I was labeled a problem student. I could not read graphs, didn’t know how to use a planner and got headaches after reading for more than 15 minutes. In fifth grade things began to turn around, I began to do better in school and make friends and had earned my place on the list to attend the honor roll field trips. Towards the end of the school year, the math teacher Mrs. Martin decided to look through my organized like other kids. I was punished for something beyond my control. I learned that I did things wrong and didn’t belong in the academic world.
In sixth grade homeroom Mrs. Williams introduced us to our new weekly vocabulary book, Wordly Wise. It was at that moment when I realized what I was good at. I could not wait to tell someone how they vexed me or wear an outfit that was monochromatic or tell my mother that her food was tantalizing. I found my thing! Words, I was good with words. From that year on I always did exceptionally well in English. I was always ready to recite a poem that I had written and sing songs that I had composed in any talent show I could find. Being on stage with a large audience filled me with adrenaline and excitement. In high school, critics found a way to take the fun out what came natural to me. They pointed out when I was singing from my throat and not my diaphragm, when I missed my lines and all the time that I sang off key. My mysterious illness prevented me from further pursuing my dream.
Self Advocates of Michigan has given me a space where I have been able to connect with my disabilities and all the things that I thought I had missed out on because of them. I have begun to dismantle the old belief systems and ableist expectations that existed within me. In April I was able to attend The Disability Seminar in Washington DC. Before I left, I called the my local bi-lingual newspaper in Southwest Detroit. I told them about my upcoming Self Advocacy trip and asked if they could publish article about my experience in at the Disability Policy Seminar. They said would be open to it and gave me the dates on which to have the article ready by. When I came back, I was very nervous and hesitant to write the article, unconfident in myself and my writing abilities. I decided to just do it. I believed in myself and my talents. Two weeks after arriving from Washington, El Central Newspaper published my first article. I am so grateful for my growth and Self Advocacy Community. I invite you to read my article about The Disability Policy Seminar and to believe in yourself.
https://elcentralmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/4-25-24-paper.pdf