Disabilities MATTER… Mentorship Needed for My Students in Survive or Thrive (SOT)

Los Angeles, CA | December 17, 2016 – MLK Holiday and everyday is not only about remembrance, but also about ACTION! ❤️At this time, I am seeking mentors and change makers for a group very special to me for years among so many I work with in the larger fight for social justice.

At the start of the new year, I gave a talk to Survive or Thrive (SOT), made up of underserved young people in SoCal who are blind and/or visually impaired, from all ethnic and racial backgrounds. Each is seeking to better their life circumstances beyond the limitations they feel society places upon them, which certainly do not meet their grand potential.

This talk in particular was about helping each of them navigate their life courses and to understand that their DISABILITIES MATTER, and are indeed an asset in the larger discourse of diversity, inclusion, and equality. For starters, because many of them are budding authors, I donated my diversity children’s book that is now being translated into Braille to inspire each of them. I am proud that this book seamlessly includes illustrations of children who are just like them, who represent their world view, but I also hope they soon one day will create even more for society to learn from.

Working together with each of them, their parents, social workers, and volunteers, today we start the work of developing the first non-profit organization to bridge their need for mentors and resources that allow a more level playing field. For several years, I have volunteered my time to help them apply to college, doctoral programs, sports teams, independent living opportunities, and more, but I can’t do it alone. Contact me offline if you can lend some time, no matter where you are in the country. In solidarity… thank you 👏🏽! Immediate needs: * Mentors (all fields, all disciplines)

* Books that can be translated into braille

* Speakers (2 to 3 times a year)

* Sponsors (for those students that cannot afford “Braillenote” instruments to communicate)

#martinlutherkingjr #mlkdayofservice #action #SurviveOrThrive #disabilitiesmatter #visuallyimpaired #blindandbrilliant #amihalfgiraffe #ihaveadream