Advocating for Community Inclusion Stories from the Spectrum
I had the great pleasure of meeting this young lady the other day and will be working with her in the near future ! As a person with intellectual developmental disabilities I understand her. I know where she’s coming from. We all have a voice. And some voices are not heard. This young lady is her own self advocate and not only has a voice for herself and is an advocate for people just like her just check out her story below.
Stories from the Spectrum
Advocating for Community Inclusion
by Ivanova Smith
My passion is for the inclusion of people with intellectual/developmental disabilities (I/DD). For a long time, I was isolated from my community. I was not included during the first five-and-a-half years of my life. I was born in Latvia, a country that was suffering under Soviet occupation. I was born premature and unwanted. These realities around my birth and orphanhood have had a great impact on my passion! I feel we all should be wanted. We should all be included in the community!
During the time when I was raised in an institutional orphanage, I did not know what family meant. I did not understand the concept of private property. I remember looking forward to just going outside in the orphanage. I remember been happy to see pieces of colorful glass on the ground. I had no friends there. I remember always being alone. I remember not getting much to eat but watery vegetable soup. I could not communicate verbally. I remember just making noises. I remember the day that all changed, the day I was included in a family! I was adopted and become part of the Anderson family. I remember being scared at first of this new world that was ahead of me. But over time, I started to love it. When my family kept feeding me and not denying me food, I was so happy to get to eat! My family now loves telling the story of how much I would eat after we left the orphanage, and how I had breakfast and only stopped to have lunch.
I was so happy to be free. I want that for all people with intellectual/developmental disabilities. I know that as an autistic person, I was at risk of being put in a mental institution if my family had not been able to adopt me. It happens not just in other countries. I moved to Washington State in 1994 where people with I/DD were just starting to be included in their communities.
I was happy to be brought to the USA and be raised in a Christian home! But the United States was not perfect. During school it was hard. Lots of people did not understand me. Lots of people I did relate with were segregated from other students. As a kid in special education, it was very confusing. I heard of how people like me were put in institutions. I heard justifications for that which made me scared of ever having to return to an institutional environment.
It happens here in the USA. We live in a world that says it is ok to put people with intellectual/developmental disabilities in institutions. This is not justice; this is segregation. When I started my journey as a disability-rights advocate, it was after I overcame a lot of challenges. I testified to legislators of Washington State for the first time in 2015. It was during my first Advocacy Day. (Advocacy Days are held during each legislative session to involve self-advocates and families in the legislative process, giving them opportunities to make their voices heard by legislators and to have an impact on policy and budget legislation that affects the services and supports available to them.)
When I heard about what Washingtonians who live in four different institutions had to deal with, it made me want to advocate more. When I heard how people with I/DD are not being given an equal education, it pushed me to advocate more. When I was told it was okay for people with developmental disabilities to be paid below minimum wage, I knew that people like me were not being treated equally in the workforce. Segregation is what hurts us. It why I work with self-advocacy organizations like Self Advocates in Leadership (SAIL), People First of Washington and Allies in Advocacy. Members in each of these groups each have a passion to advocate for rights of people with disabilities.
I also love living in the community! My family worked hard to make sure I was included! My mother was determined for me to go to college and eventually to a university. She believed in me when I did not even believe in myself. I want to help families see the abilities in their I/DD children. I want our youth to not feel ashamed for having a disability. I want people with I/DD to feel comfortable advocating for support. I have been given many opportunities, thanks to networking skills I learned through Central Washington University and Arc of King County. I am honored to work as a Faculty Mentor for the University of Washington’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (UW LEND) Advocacy program. I hope my work helps to bring more people with I/DD into positions of leadership. Our work is valuable and I want that to show.
When I get on the stage to give a speech, I put all my passion into it. I want people who watch me to know that people like me are human just like they are. People with intellectual and developmental disabilities are equal in the eyes of God. We should not be institutionalized! We should not be segregated. I love public speaking, It has been a gift that I cherish. I hope my voice can help people see the value and skill people with Intellectual/developmental disabilities bring. Being Autistic, I am proud and happy to get to live in a country where I can speak freely about the issues that matter most to me. I realize in this time more than ever, we need to advocate more. Lots of changes are going to happen in our country and I want make sure my people are included and not forgotten about.
Because of my passion and advocacy experience, I was invited to speak on October 25th, 2016 at the Legislative Candidates Forum on Disabilities in Clark County, Washington. This was a great honor. I was so happy to see so many people, including advocates and legislative candidates, wanting true inclusion for all people with I/DD. The evening showed me how allies and DD advocates can work together on these issues and make the world a more inclusive place. It reminded me that I was not only one fighting for this! Even the legislative candidates heard the policies I was advocating for in my speech. My hosts were truly kind to invite me to show what self-advocates really need from their government!
I support policies that help people like me live a full meaningful life in the community! I support policies that allow all I/DD people to be included in meaningful integrated employment. Big companies like Microsoft have already seen the potential of autistic programmers! We need more businesses to follow suit. So many people’s talents are ignored because of their disabilities. There are so many media stories talking about how bad it is to be developmentally disabled. It makes me think that our youth don’t see their value…
I am excited to enter this legislative session with the goal that more people are included! I am here to change minds about what my community is! We are not burdens! We are epic people that seek to be included and that is what I fight for.
READ Spectrum magazine
What Woman Want Starring Mel Gibson What Men Want Remake Starring Taraji P Henson
You know I am getting so tired of these remakes is an anybody original anymore? I like the concept of 2000s movie What Woman Wants starring Mel Gibson. Hollywood need to desperately get some originality in their screen writing. However I do like this new version of it but seriously we need to come up with something new. As I said I love this movie back in 2000 very funny. Nothing wrong with it. I just think as I wrote I love this movie back in 2000 very funny. Like all movies and TV shows I’m bet the original script was stolen from someone. Because that’s what Hollywood does they still original scripts from other people and make millions off of their creation.
Trailer #1 What Woman Want
Staring Mel Gibson 2000
Synopsis chauvinistic advertising executive acquires the ability to hear what women are thinking. He attempts to use this power to bring about the fall of his female boss, but as he uses this inside knowledge to outwit his superior, the bachelor begins to fall in love with her, and so finds himself feeling more than a little guilty when his plan to have her sacked looks like it may come to fruition.
Trailer #2 What Men Want Remake Starring Taraji P Henson 2018
Synopsis Magically able to hear what men are thinking, a sports agent uses her newfound ability to turn the tables on her overbearing male colleagues.
This remake also stars Erykah Badu and Tracy Morgan yeah I’m complaining about the remake but come January 11th 2019 I’ll get my ticket and go see it.
Aretha Franklin Remake Everyday People Music Video
OK y’all need to stop Aretha Franklin is a legend I forgot about this remake from Sly & The Family Stone!
Aretha’s Remake Everyday People
Sly and The Family Stones Original Everyday People
Eric Benét on Ignorant Rappers & White Supremacy: You’re Being Used to Destroy Us!
Eric Benét is so right. White folks are geniuses they knew what made us tick. White folks are geniuses they knew what made us tick. We’ve been studied for generations on how they can control us how they can get what they want We as black people unconsciously have been programmed to do their every bidding it must be nice to have generational wealth. And they knew that there’d be some Uncle Tom’s that would follow along with their devious plan.
R&B crooner Eric Benét is the latest celeb to call out the more ignorant of hip hop artists for promoting negativity within the Black community and inadvertently supporting White supremacy.
The soul singer took to Instagram to share a scathing critique of MCs who rap about certain subjects, including murder, drug abuse, degrading Black women and materialism. According to the meme, these aren’t artists, but “a Blackface for White Supremacy.”
It goes on, “You are being USED to help destroy your own people.”
Benet didn’t create the meme, but confirmed his agreement with the caption, “Inconvenient truth to some of the rich and famous.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmHHW5Zh8_v/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=1t7kq84mm736c
Although the meme didn’t call out all rappers, certain wordsmiths still took exception with its message. Young Money rapper Jae Millz responded with a jab at the “Spend My Life With You” singer’s past relationship with ex-wife, Halle Berry, according to Rolling Out.
“Eric Benét giving me rap advice is like me giving him advice on how he could’ve saved his marriage. And I’m not married. #payattentionitsfree.”
Wale argued that hip hop has always had a love for material objects, but that it doesn’t always equate to the artists themselves being problematic.
“Hip hop always had an affinity for material things. It’s apart of the very fabric (no pun) but does not define players IN said genre…but I’m 3xZ doe. He got a point but it’s not the only point (sic.)”
Do you agree with Benét?
Aretha Franklin Rock A Lott Music Video
In this 1986 Claymation live action music video you see a fresh face Whitney Houston and other stars of the day !
Elfen’s EXTRA EXTRA Old School R&B Music Videos Aretha Franklin
Prayer up to Miss Aretha Franklin! Aretha was making some real jams in the 1980s-1990s!! TURN IT UP!! Here’s two of my favorite music videos
Ever changing times featuring Michael McDonald
A ROSE IS STILL A ROSE
What I Learned When A Guy Insulted My Skin Color On A Date
Colorism is real
It was the middle of spring in 2015. My friend and I were making our way through through a lively day party. As we were looking for a spot on the dance floor, a man who was clearly inebriated and looked to be about 12 years my senior grabbed my arm and insisted on whispering drunken sweet nothings in my ear.
In an attempt to escape, I sought refuge next to a chill, quiet guy who peeped my struggle and pretended to be my boyfriend. For the rest of the night, he and I got to know each other and ended up exchanging numbers.
A couple of months later, we were dating regularly and I genuinely enjoyed his company. One day we took a trip to the beach for an afternoon of fun in the sun. With the relaxing sound of waves crashing, the warmth of the Florida sun and the refreshing ocean breeze, it had all the makings of a beautiful date.
That’s when it happened.
After we changed into our beachwear and made our way to the shoreline, he jokingly said to me, “I hope I don’t get as dark as you.”
I looked at him as if he had two heads. I know he didn’t say what I think he just said, I thought to myself. While I took mental note of his racist remark, I decided to let it go for the time being, thinking that everyone says stupid things from time to time and I also didn’t want to come across as too sensitive or defensive (even though I had every right to be).
As a dark-skinned black woman, this was not the first time that my complexion had been referred to in a negative manner by a potential mate. As a teenager and even as a young adult, the guys I knew were not at all shy about sharing their preferences. Hearing male friends or classmates gush over a lighter-skinned girl often left me feeling invisible and downright ignored.
As my feet sank into the sand with each step, I wondered if I’d made the right decision by coming on this date.
After walking along the beach for some time, we reached a popular seafood restaurant. As we waited for our food to be served, my date saw a man who happened to be a little darker than me and said, “At least you won’t get that dark.”
Strike No. 2, I thought to myself.
“Why are you so concerned about how dark I’m going to get?” I immediately asked. “And why are you worried about other people’s skin tones?”
Instead of getting angry, I tried to educate him. (This was three years ago and I had a lot of patience). I informed him that his comments were ignorant and unnecessary. He shrugged it off, saying that he was just joking and that it wasn’t a big deal.
Soon thereafter, our plates arrived and food was his only saving grace. But after our meal, I just couldn’t shake his remarks.
I had to know: If we were going to continue dating each other, would my skin tone be a problem for him? If I got just a touch darker, would he be able to handle it? Would the richness of my melanin cause him to implode? Had he not heard of black girl magic?!
I decided to ask him, “Have you ever dated a dark-skinned girl before?”
That’s when he sheepishly replied, “Well, dark-skinned girls aren’t really my first choice.”
For a moment, it felt as if time stood still. His words stung with rejection. I looked at him in disbelief.
He then added that he’d only dated light-skinned girls previously. (For those of you wondering what his ethnicity was, he was half-Puerto Rican and half-black.)
So what does that make me, I thought. Runner-up? Second place? An experiment? Was he only dating me until his light-skinned Nubian queen came along?
I quickly gathered my belongings and told him I was ready to leave. I didn’t want to make a scene at the beach and feared what would come out of my mouth if I opened it.
We rode home in complete silence, except for when he stopped for gas and asked me if I wanted some ice cream. I curtly told him no. As he dropped me off at my place, he said in a quiet, whispering voice, “I’m sorry if I disrespected you in any way and I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” I gave him a final, fatal side-eye and headed in.
As I lay in bed, recalling the events from earlier that day, I felt my eyes welling up. I cried for reasons that I didn’t understand at first. I was raised to be a strong black woman and I wasn’t supposed to let this sort of thing affect me.
As a child and young teen, I often viewed my dark skin as a handicap, keeping me from experiencing true beauty. I’ve received the backhanded “You’re pretty for a dark-skinned girl” compliment and experienced feelings of shame when I turned a few shades darker after playing in the sun.
It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I began not only accepting, but admiring my complexion. After sharing my insecurities with a friend of mine who also had dark skin, she immediately pulled my arm into the sunlight and asked, “Do you see how our skin sparkles in the light?” It was from that moment on that my negative mindset about having darker skin began to dissipate.
With time and support from family and friends, my confidence increased and I started to see the beauty in my dark skin. As I became an adult, I began to truly relish having a deep complexion and started sharing those feelings with my fellow dark-skinned sisters and brothers. It was a journey of self-reflection and self-love that no one could ever take from me. However, after years of working to build up my self-esteem, this guy came and nearly knocked it all down.
OK, so he didn’t knock it down, but he did put a dent in it.
The truth was that even though I’d cultivated an appreciation for my skin color over the years, what he said caused old feelings to resurface. I cried because his words took me back to the little girl who was petrified of getting darker on hot, sunny days. I cried because even though I tried my best to be strong and resilient, what he said made me feel inadequate and unpretty. I cried because I was pissed, embarrassed and betrayed by my own emotions.
The next day I let him know how asinine and offensive his comments were and he continued to apologize profusely, saying that he had a bad habit of sticking his foot in his mouth. He told me that he needed someone who would “put up with his occasional bullshit.” Long story short, we didn’t work out. I simply couldn’t imagine spending any more time with someone who demonstrated that level of ignorance.
I did manage to learn a few lessons after my disaster date. I knew that even though he didn’t appreciate my chocolate skin, there were others out there who would and that I should never settle for anyone who makes me feel less than. I’m now dating a man who loves my skin color, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
This situation encouraged me not to fall victim to the lingering effects of slavery and colonization on today’s unrealistic standards of beauty. It reminded me of the importance of teaching children (and adults) that every shade is beautiful and that no one is better than the other. Lastly, it empowered me to continue living my best life, loving myself and reveling in my precious dark-skinned black girl magic.
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