I have been meaning to post a reflection since David's initial post last week. This conversation gives me the perfect opportunity to share a personal story of my own Black History.
A couple of years ago, I began having a growing interest in researching my lineage. As African-Americans we are often limited in knowing our historical familial story and often accept the basic understanding that we are the decedents of slaves who - for a large portion of our ancestors - gained some sense of autonomy post-slavery through sharecropping, serving in the military, generations migrating into education and higher learning while fighting for equal civil rights along the way. As I began this journey of digging into my family history with no expectations of what I would find, I was blown away by the Black history within my own family.
I discovered that my paternal great grandfather, Dr. Lilton Daniel Blaney, was a surgeon attending Howard University for his undergraduate study and then graduated from the Leonard Medical School (affiliated with Shaw University) in 1911. He completed his residency at Freedmen's Hospital in Washington, DC (now known as the Howard University Hospital). A book published in 1921 (History of the American Negro: Virginia Edition) includes a biography of my great-grandfather describing him as:
A successful physician and surgeon of Richmond [and] has, in less than four years, made for himself a prominent place in the professional life of the capital city of Virginia. This is due to the character of his work and to the fact that he took the necessary time to prepare himself before beginning practice.
The biography goes on to mention that he "aspired to a life of larger usefulness" and had a "desire for an education" fully knowing that the journey would not be easy.
Bringing this back to David's initial post, imagine my astonishment not simply because I had
no idea that my great-grandfather was born and raised 20 minutes from my home during my time in Harrisonburg, VA or because I had
no idea that my great-grandfather also attended Howard University where I also received my Master's degree. My astonishment also came from knowing that I am the descendent of an African-American who was a leader in his own right, choosing a journey less traveled. My desire for an education and to have an impact on the lives of children who stutter is grounded in my DNA!
Paraphrasing from David's post, I am grateful to have made this connection and truly believe that some part of my leadership and desire to contribute to the lives of those who stutter is birthed out of this legacy and will continue to inspire me to do better things!
Have a great rest of the day and Happy Black History Month!
Kia
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Kia Noelle Johnson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Associate Professor
Dept. of Communication Sci. & Disorders
University of Houston
100 Clinic Research Center
Houston, TX 77204-6018
Office: 713-743-6777
Kjohnson6@uh.edu------------------------------
Original Message:
Sent: 02-05-2019 10:06 AM
From: Valarie Fleming
Subject: A Reflection and a "Call for Thoughts"
Thank you for your post David. This one really spoke to me because I too have been reflecting on those who have inspired and supported my journey into leadership. While leadership exists all around us in some form, it is not until you begin to identify with leaders that you begin to watch what they do and try to emulate them. This is why representation matters. My professional leadership awakening happened when my mentor Dr. Joyce Harris took me to my first National Black Association for Speech-Language and Hearing (NBASLH) Convention in Milwaukee in 2001. As a 2nd year graduate student a month away from graduation, I was awestruck at all of the leaders in our profession that I met who looked like me. I had never seen anything like it. I came back again and again for the same "feeling." Over the years I met many people and gained a whole group of formal and informal mentors such as Elise Davis-McFarland, Sharon Moss, Eugene Wiggins, Tommie Robinson, Bernadette Mayfield-Clarke, Vicki Deal-Williams, Arnell Brady, Joan C. Payne, Kay Payne, Ronald Johnson, Robert Mayo, and countless others who either encouraged me, helped me hone my craft, asked me about my future, or wrote letters of support at various stages. I met colleagues at similar stages in their careers and made life-long friends with whom to share this journey. So, as we reflect on the contributions African Americans have made in this world, let's also think about the contributions they have made to our professions and how many still work to promote our professions and grow the next generation of leaders.
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Valarie B. Fleming, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Chair and Associate Professor
Department of Communication Disorders
Texas State University
Original Message:
Sent: 02-01-2019 10:45 AM
From: David Alexander
Subject: A Reflection and a "Call for Thoughts"
Today marks the first day of African-American History month. As such, I wanted to take this opportunity to share some reflections I have and get your thoughts as well.
African-Americans have made an impact on this nation's history and on my life's journey. With the hope and, at times, the promise of freedom, African-Americans fought in the Revolutionary War to be rid of Great Britain's heavy hand of oppression so that America can be an independent and free nation. During the Civil War, African-Americans joined the military to help bind the nation together. With essentially no confidence in African-American Aviators, an "experiment" was conducted in World War II, which resulted in the Tuskegee Airmen's extraordinary success in escorting American bombers. During the Vietnam War, my father did not have to serve and was not eligible to be drafted as he was an only child. He volunteered to serve this nation at a time when citizens were forced to serve. I am honored to follow my father in the military, to have the opportunity to fly helicopters because the Tuskegee Airmen proved that it was possible for African-Americans to be Aviators, and as a current Army Reserve Audiologist, I am thankful to the thousands of African-Americans who have served this country throughout its history.
I recognize that this is a forum on leadership and not about history. But, let's imagine a satellite camera focused on you as an individual. And then the lens begins to zoom out and we can see an ever-increasing image and can view the larger picture. We can see connections in things that we might otherwise have missed and those connections help make us the leaders we are and inspire us to do better things.
With that said, do you have a "connection," story, or inspiring person in your life that helped you be you? Please share your thoughts.
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David Alexander, AuD, CCC-A
Towson University - Audiologist - Clinical Assistant Professor
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