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Our son, Jesse, had cerebral palsy and could not speak.
When Jesse was four,
the neurologist told us - in front
of our son - that he would never be intellectually normal,
and we should be thinking about having another child.
When he was six, the Special Education Director
at our local school district
said we should send Jesse away
to Massachusetts Hospital School.
That is not what we did.
We fought to have Jesse included in general education.
During the struggle, the school insisted
that Jesse take the Stanford-Binet IQ test.
The test contained absurd, antiquated questions like,
"Jesse, do you 'dust' a dresser?"
And Marianne and I are thinking, "Dust?"
My wife and I don't dust. We call dressers "bureaus."
And anyway, dusting wasn't a chore
I had thought to give to my child with quadriplegia.
Jesse learned to use a computer to communicate.
He learned to read, and he developed close friendships.
Jesse became a straight-A student in high school.
He wrote poetry and he aced every one of his Latin tests.
The IQ test told us nothing about my child's potential,
about who he was as a person.
Can any attempt to measure intelligence predict
a person's value or ability
to contribute meaningfully to the world?
IQ testing is still used in 49 of 50 states
as one of the ways to determine if a student will carry
a lifelong label of intellectual disability.
Only 17% of students with intellectual disability
are included in regular classrooms.
6.5 million Americans have an intellectual disability.
Only 15% are employed.
There are different ways.
Better ways.
[cafeteria chatter]
Naieer has a style of his own
and he's not afraid to go in there
and freely draw and express himself,
and capture line and color and movement.
If I got half of that from some of my other students,
I'd be happy because that determination he has,
it's in him - he cannot give that up.
He has to do it.
What are we doing?
So what color do you need for that?
Um, it looked like orange.
Orange? Alright. That's the orange you want?
When he gets frustrated, it's because he has a hard time
communicating his idea that he has in his head.
He just gets - his body takes over.
Ok. Alright?
Alright. Sorry.
That's alright, buddy. I gotcha. It's ok.
Do you need help?
Ummm...
What are we doing? Are we going to mix up the brown paint?
Yes.
Alright, do you see the image now?
Yeah.
Is it lined up where you want it?
Yeah.
What are you going to paint that makes you happy?
What are you going to tell me?
Show me.
I don't know what Naieer's IQ is.
What I do know is that Naieer is a committed,
hard-working student
who has some challenges.
Black people lived in one neighborhood;
Asian people lived in another neighborhood -
We work with Naieer and his family, his friends,
his teachers to try to help him
be the most successful he can be.
- and that's just the way it was.
We don't use IQ tests to inform us at all.
It's a number, but I wouldn't even know where to find it.
She's white.
She's white? Yeah.
Is she a human or a mermaid or what?
Ummm...
A mermaid?
You don't know?
No.
[birds chirping]
So I texted Samantha and she texted me around 3:30
and said she was home sick.
Oh well. Maybe I'll text her tonight.
Say, oh, how are you feeling?
How are you feeling?
Yeah, Micah's been going on OkCupid chatting with women.
Haha!
Samantha, she's 25 and lives in Syracuse, New York.
Down the road, maybe I'll ask her,
"Do you want to meet at a coffee shop or something?"
[phone reading text] "Hi tomorrow hope your feet I hope you have a good night
Samantha."
Do you want me to take a look at that, Micah?
Yeah. Feet?
What did you say?
"I look forward to talking with you tomorrow?"
Yeah.
To talking...and you haven't told her yet
about your disability or anything like that?
No. I just don't want to like tell her over a text message.
Right. It might be good before you guys meet.
That's my opinion at least.
Maybe I'll tell her over the phone.
Yeah.
In like my mind, I like never thought
I would ever like move from Michigan
after being there like my whole time.
But it was scary the first couple weeks,
but I knew that I made a good decision
because I just knew
that if I lived in Michigan my whole life,
I wouldn't have been able to try something new.
And I knew because of me, of being Micah,
I knew that it was gonna work out.
I'm getting a non-degree certificate
in Disability Studies.
And can we keep in touch after we graduate?
Yeah, of course.
You guys are in the serious home stretch.
We have two and a half weeks.
Ok, lemonade. Food or not food?
No. Why not?
It's a drink. It's a drink.
He was very engaged.
Any time I looked in his direction,
he had a look on his face that said,
"Come on. Keep going.
I'm right with ya, and I want to learn this stuff."
I don't remember when I was tested,
but I like saw a sheet of paper in the mail
that said I had a 40 IQ still.
And I like Googled what a 40 IQ is
and they like said
that somebody who can't really like work at like a job
or can't like move from their parents' house
probably or things like that.
The IQ test measures a very limited potential of our brain
to learn,
and misses all the other stuff.
A person's ability to take context,
clues from their environment - from other people.
A person's desire to engage with other people
and their openness to relationships.
Micah's got a ton of that.
I know. That's huge!
One - A quarter.
Quarter.
The big one. The big one. Now, another one of these. Yeah.
Sixty...now three cents.
Three cents.
Sixty three cents. There you go!
I'm smart.
You are smart. You're doing it by yourself.
How much do I owe you, sweetie?
What's your name, by the way?
Naomie.
So you give him back two -
and his change - a quarter, a dime, -
Dime? Yup.
Thank you, Naomie.
You're welcome.
[talking in the hall]
[heels clicking]
Uh, she almost fell.
You see what happens when you wear heels?
How much do you have there?
Ten. Ten dollars.
Plus -
One -
So that's how much?
One?
Ten plus one. This.
Five. Ten.
Plus one. One.
Eleven. Look for the one that's red.
Red.
Look how it looks. Looks like this.
Yeah.
It's right here in the corner.
Yep. You happy with your tip you made?
Yeah.
Alright, let's pack up now.
Hi, Steven.
You working hard today? Yeah.
Good. Real good.
This is the most we ever made.
You made fifty dollars today. Are you happy?
Yeah.
You know what you're gonna buy with this?
Ummm...cell phone.
You want a cell phone so bad.
Yeah.
Naomie, Micah, and Naieer -
three young adults with disabilities,
unlocking their potential and finding work they love.
Would you like to invite her so then she can also see it
and you guys can see what it looks like?
Not long ago, it was common for doctors
and social workers to counsel families
to send their children away to institutions.
And a child's low IQ was often their one-way admission ticket.
Dr. Alfred Binet, the French psychologist,
published the first intelligence test in 1905
to identify children that needed educational assistanc.
He stressed that intelligence was a fluid quality,
shaped by one's environment and culture,
and subject to change over time.
His intentions were soon distorted.
The American psychologist, Henry H. Goddard,
altered how the Binet-Simon test was used.
He insisted the test was a scientifically valid way
to identify the "feebleminded" in our midst.
By 1913, the United States government
was using Goddard's methods
to test 29,000 immigrants a week at Ellis Island.
Goddard said the results showed that 79% of Italians,
83% of Jews,
and 87% of Russians were feebleminded.
During World War I, the military used an IQ exam
to determine a soldier's rank.
Men who scored lower, were fit to be privates,
but not officers.
Privates were the most likely to end up
on the front lines of battle.
IQ testing was used to fuel a pseudo-science
known as "Eugenics,"
which called for eliminating the "menace"
of the feebleminded through marriage restrictions,
and warehousing of hundreds of thousands of disabled people.
By 1950, it has been estimated that more than 60,000 people
had been forcibly sterilized.
Eugenics had the support of prominent physicians,
professors, governors, presidents,
and even the United States Supreme Court.
Adolf Hitler cited the U.S. Eugenics
research as justification for sterilizing
and murdering nearly a quarter of a million disabled Germans.
Meanwhile so-called "training schools,"
founded with good intentions as early as the mid-1800s,
were established as safe places
where adolescents and young adults with disabilities
could learn skills and integrate into society.
But over time, these schools devolved into restrictive,
hospital-like institutions
with few opportunities for growth,
and little hope for release.
Notorious institutions like Willowbrook
more closely resembled prisons than schools.
And yet, despite its ugly history and inherent flaws,
intelligence testing
and the resulting IQ score is alive and well.
In response to consistent criticism over many years,
the tests have been modified enough to retain their status
as the standard measure of intelligence
throughout the U.S.
Research tells us that IQ test results
can be biased by factors
such as socio-economic status and cultural background.
African-American students are almost twice
as likely as white students
to be classified with intellectual disability.
[students talking in the classroom]
Do you see it here?
Yeah. Yeah?
When Naieer first came,
his communication skills weren't developed.
This is what we have right here, ok?
He wasn't able to advocate for himself.
Many schools probably would've taken that and said,
"That's not for us. Inclusion's not for him."
El pelo largo.
But we look at behavior as communication for all students,
not just kids with disabilities.
El pelo...
Welcome, team.
Today is - who wants to chime out?
Soup Service. Soup Service.
And how does Mr. Cloyd like to say it?
Soup Day!
♪ ["I Believe in Love" by Matisyahu plays] ♪
What's in there so far?
Carrots, onions...
[food sizzling]
Are we ready to roll it down?
Yes.
[students talking in the hallways]
Soup Day!
I'm ready!
Enjoy your soup.
Thank you, brother.
Ok, on three. One, two, three!
♪ ["Shade from the Sun" by Matisyahu plays] ♪
When people say, "Why is your school successful?"
I always say "Because we include students
with significant disabilities."
Having kids with significant disabilities
has helped us to really become
more careful, individualized, personal educators.
♪
Pass!
And I really believe that what we're doing
is fighting against segregation again.
[students cheering]
But segregation based on ability.
♪ Shade from the Sun Shade from the Sun ♪
What was the first colored unit of the civil war?
We watched the movie.
They're right in front of the State House.
Do you remember the movie we watched?
You're right, almost. 54th Regiment.
I wouldn't even use the notebook.
I would literally just use the study guide
while we play Jeopardy.
["Jeopardy" theme music]
I think that intelligence looks different for everybody.
It's clear that he has an intellectual impairment,
but that doesn't necessarily mean
that he can't be intelligent.
Please describe why our unit on government
is the most important thing you will learn
in all of high school
and possibly your life.
Naieer.
You have learned about the government
because you will use this information for when you vote.
That is very true. You will use this information when you vote.
I will add that.
It's not like the movies,
where you get this teacher that comes in
and she saves the day and everything's great.
[teacher tells student to work]
It's one day at a time.
I have a lot of students who don't
communicate in traditional ways,
and are non-verbal. Or do communicate in ways
that the outside world sees as very different.
And, you know, we always joke that
The Henderson is sort of like Disneyland - like
it's a special place. We're all family.
People sort of get things and are patient.
But sometimes it is troubling to wonder
what might the outside world perceive him as.
That's what we did this for. Yes, that's correct.
It's the 54th Massachusetts.
Ha ha ha ha ha ha -
Hi.
I made a little Valentine's for you last Friday.
Thank you. Thank you.
I'll like make a card later - next week for you.
When's your birthday?
The 29th of March.
Alright, I'll do that for your birthday.
Do you want to grab some food around like 11:10?
Sure.
What are your plans for later today?
Eh, I don't know.
Oh, I just got dripped on.
Is there a chance that we can meet like your mom and dad?
Like I could ask them later on today,
and also sometime you could probably meet my cat, too.
Here's some chili to start.
Is it...if I...no, it's good.
Is it too late to... after thinking about it,
for the salad,
is it too late to just have the...
can I just have...can I just...
Just the chili, no salad? Yeah. Yeah.
Sure.
Ok, thank you.
Maybe after you talk to your dad,
can I like start sending you a text message?
Mhmm.
Ok.
I was just wondering, are you on Facebook?
Uh, no.
Ok.
My parents don't think that's safe sometimes.
Yeah, yeah, I understand.
Probably at Bud's office
I'll probably show you a picture of my cat.
Ok.
[people talk happily at a party]
Hey. What up, man?
Happy Birthday Party.
Hey, Micah.
Hi.
♪["Big Apple Boogaloo" by Brooklyn Funk Essentials plays]♪
So it'd be easier for them if I need help with anything.
My brother and his wife live in Madison.
When should I take out that ice cream?
When it's time for cake and ice cream.
Ok.
Yeah, she's here until 10 o'clock. I don't know.
Are you going to hang out with her?
Sure, I guess.
Meghan!
I thought you could put that like on your dresser.
What does that say?
If you think my arms are full, you should see my heart.
♪ [singing "Happy Birthday"]
Thank you so much for that present.
I was very happy and honored,
and it was just very nice to get a present from you.
Like there was another one that was saying like the word
"love" or something, but then Cindy was like,
"I thought you and Micah were probably not into that
like, that much into the relationship yet."
Yeah, yeah.
But your mom's not coming 'til 10?
Yeah, I don't think.
You could call her maybe earlier, or is she busy?
I have no idea.
They'll probably text or something.
[police siren]
Hi, Gail.
Hi, honey bunny. How are you? Good.
Giving me a massage?
Yeah.
Hi, Brenda. You ok? You ok?
Yeah.
It's Friday! It's Friday! It's Friday!
Good morning.
What would you like?
Snickers, please.
Then you say - what else do you say?
Would you like -
Would you like anything else?
Oh, Diet Coke, please.
Oh, soda.
So we're going to find "beverages."
So he wants a Diet Coke.
Diet Coke. I'm all done.
Alright, so you press the blue button.
Thank you.
Now you need to give him fifty-seven cents.
Five, six, seven-
Wait, that's it. Seven. Now you need fifty.
Show me fifty.
What's that? That's a what?
Dime? Quarter.
Quarter.
We begin tonight with major developments
in a stunning case.
Thousands of mentally disabled Rhode Islanders were paid,
in the words of one investigator,
virtually nothing.
It all stems from an investigation
into the treatment of students
at the Birch Vocational Program
at Mount Pleasant High School in Providence,
who were performing manual labor
in segregated workshops for little to no pay.
These people were robbed of years of productivity,
learning, and contributing to their communities.
The Harold Birch Vocational School struck us
as the height of segregation and low expectations.
Their curriculum was placing jewelry
on cardboard - instead of math,
instead of science, instead of reading.
In April of 2014, we reached a settlement agreement
with the State of Rhode Island
to transform that system to one that prioritized and relied
primarily on competitive, integrated employment.
You've got some friends here.
She's cute.
Thanks.
I guess I would've never known.
Like the kids were very underpaid
and like working in hard conditions.
And that's, that's pretty messed up.
Dan: And who was she making them for?
Where did the earrings go?
[Steven's music plays as he edits]
I love my sister, you know. I love her the way she is.
Over time, I learned what Down syndrome was.
But I also do have moments
when I think like what will she be like
if she'd be able to do this and that on her own?
She's definitely a smart girl.
She's definitely always willing to learn.
I don't want to see her just be boxed in
just because of her disability.
By going to like all her meetings,
doctor's appointments,
reading papers to my mom,
C'mon now, let's go to the car.
making sure she understands it.
I'm the only one driving so if they need to get somewhere,
I've gotta be here to take them.
♪ [Singing church song in Creole] ♪
♪ ♪
Amen-amen, amen.
The word of God says in Psalm 127,
"Children are our heritage."
Every young man, young woman that is here, you are a gift.
Every child that I have - all my four children - they are my
gift, my inheritance that God has given me and my husband.
I always think about, alright,
something happens to my parents,
but also what if something happens to me, too.
I always think about that.
Even though I know it's in God's hands,
at the same time I want to know.
Hi, Naomie.
I'm happy today.
Yeah, thank you.
I'm happy you're here.
Yeah.
♪
Alright, why don't you get in between these two bases.
Go stand there.
[students shouting while playing kickball]
Ok, throw it to first base, ok?
Hi. Ok.
Alright, ready?
Yeah.
Nice! What a kick!
Run, run, run, run, run!
Go! Go! Go!
Oh, wow, he's fast. He might make it.
Alright! Nice!
Whoo!
Right on!
Yeah!
Are you hungry or thirsty?
Yeah. Do you want more water?
Yeah, I'm hungry, man.
You're hungry.
Yeah.
Ok!
My son is, you know, he's a relatively tall young man.
If he were to walk down the street,
he could be seen as a man.
He's such a sweet boy that, you know,
all this that's happening out here
in the world shouldn't be happening.
Right. It's all based on judgment
and peoples' fears or their anxieties.
But we can't hold our children back because of it.
What? You stop. Yes, you are.
What did I do?
Is that the color your want? Yes or no? So, yes?
Yes, man!
Ok, ready? So what're we gonna do?
Gonna start painting?
Or you're gonna add more white to it?
Add more white.
Ok. So that's why I'm asking, ok?
Ok.
Alright. Relax.
I think he's acting a lot more erratic this year.
So if he's not given the benefit of the doubt -
whether it's a police officer
or just a sort of civilian
in society - you do have to wonder what's gonna happen.
I want him to go into a world where he's looked at
as a fellow citizen of this world.
Not someone, "Oh, there's a tall black guy who's acting weird.
Let me call backup."
Is your sister here?
Uh, she's coming.
Hey!
Hi. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you -
How are you?
Good, I'm good.
Sorry I missed you guys.
No, that's ok.
Yeah, I am. Thank God. What?
You're not interested in having them become -
Oh, no. No, no, no.
[laughter]
I talk to my parents about it, like, with big decisions
and stuff, I like share.
When they come to visit, they talk to me,
but it's my final decision of how I want to live my life.
Yeah.
Good. This is stating you're self-directing your plan.
You're taking control of it. You're signing forms.
What do your other clients that you've been working with
for a longer period of time - how do you see their plans grow?
You have a budget. You have the funding.
And then as you change and evolve,
you're determining what goes into it.
You're gonna sign here that you are the manager
of your services.
The boss.
I'm the boss.
[crows cawing]
I also try to save money.
Do you have a savings account?
Yeah. You do?
Yeah. I have checking and savings.
You do? Yeah.
Do you know how much you make an hour?
It's like 14 hours a week, or -
Is it like $10 per hour?
Something like that.
Something like $10?
Well, that might be interesting to find out -
Ok.
to know how much you get paid.
Yeah, I'll check it out. Yes, Mother.
Do you remember when you started coming
to your IEP meetings
in 5th grade with Mr. Lewis?
My principal? Why?
Every meeting. We had meetings once a month.
With the whole team of people?
Pretty much. They'd never included someone
with a disability in the classroom, right?
All the time.
They would wonder if Micah was learning anything,
and you would be able to show that he learned something.
It was so new that it was like reinventing.
I feel that way sometimes.
How do you make inclusion not just manageable
but like you want it to work.
But you want it to work like with sanity.
[children talking]
When I found out the list of students
I was going to have this year,
I had no idea how challenging it was going to be.
James, don't you have work to do?
I have a student who's just learning language
and two other students with autism.
And also 15, 16 other children in the classroom.
Ok, first I'll help you take your sweater off.
Then, you'll draw circles.
No.
It's time for you to do math.
Noooo-no-no!
So Kevauna, it would be really helpful if you got your name,
so you could put your name here.
No. Ok.
Does Kevauna like you?
Ready? What sound?
Mmm-ap.
Say "ap."
Ap. Say "map."
Map.
Say "map."
Map.
Kevauna, look, did you draw the circle?
Something that I continue to learn over and over again
is that Micah's story happened over time.
He's not just Micah at 30 years old.
He was once five years old.
Could any intelligence test have predicted the impact
our son's life had on the children
who went to school with him?
On his best friend, Kyle,
now a teacher of English language learners
who says Jesse taught him how to draw out a world of ideas
from each of his students.
Or on Jamie, his middle school girlfriend,
who said Jesse motivated her to teach music,
helping children to raise their voices in song.
On the parents and teachers who hear his story and read
his poetry, and then determine to fight harder for inclusion.
Since the late 1950s, people with disabilities
and their families have organized to push for right,
visibility, and access to regular schools.
Even America's iconic Kennedy family has lived this story.
f Rosemary Kennedy -
d and ultimately sent
to live in an institution.
Her hidden life had a tremendous impact on her family
and prompted her brother, President John F. Kennedy,
to use the power of his office
to create the President's Committee
on Mental Retardation.
Her sister, Eunice Kennedy Shriver,
founded the Special Olympics
to illuminate the presence of people of all disabilitie.
Here, at Special Olympics, with seven nations represented,
what nation you come from doesn't matter.
Tonight we are here for one great
reason - to see you Olympians
and to celebrate how marvelous you are.
[crowd cheering]
[crowd chanting]
By the 1960s, people with disabilities
were becoming their own advocates,
speaking up for themselves.
And what's happened today is they'd rather put us in jail
than to free us from our institutions.
What do you want? Freedom! When do you want it? Now!
Institutions that warehoused people with disabilities
were shut down.
I visited the state institutions
for the mentally retarded
and I think that, particularly at Willowbrook,
that we have a situation that borders on a snake pit.
The children live in filth - that many of our fellow citizens
are suffering tremendously because of lack of attention,
lack of imagination, lack of adequate manpower.
Attitudes about the abilities and potential of people
with disabilities were also shifting.
In 1975, every disabled child's right to a free
and appropriate education became federal law.
Since the 1980s,
a theory that each of us has multiple intelligences
has been widely accepted.
Some people are good in thinking spatially;
some people are good in thinking language;
other people are very logical;
other people need to do hands on - they need
to actually explore actively
and to try things out.
Once we realize that, then an education
which treats everybody the same way
is actually the most unfair education.
In 1990, Congress passed the Americans
with Disabilities Act.
I now lift my pen to sign this Americans with Disability Act
and say, let the shameful wall of exclusion
finally come tumbling down.
And we expect no less of the Supreme Court today.
And in 1999, a Supreme Court decision reinforced the ADA
as the "law of the land,"
stating that people with disabilities
must be integrated in all aspects of the community,
including opportunities for paid work.
Everyone's lives depends on it.
How you doing? Hi, Ma.
Please have a seat wherever you'd like.
The reason why we're here today
is for a social capital meeting.
And someone like you, Naomie,
who's connected to the community
of Providence, connected
to the Haitian community, has social capital.
When you go to the movies, where do you go?
The Lincoln Mall.
The Lincoln Mall Cinema. Great.
Who can name a business in beauty and fashion?
Where do you go?
Our cousin, she's been doing her hair lately.
So her cousin's a stylist. What are some stores?
Burlington stores.
TJ Maxx? Good place to go?
Let's talk a little bit more about beauty and fashion.
Empire.
And Empire is what kind of school?
Beauty school.
It's a beauty school.
Alright, we're getting closer guys, we're getting closer.
Coming down the list - so your friend works at Burlington,
East Providence. What's her name?
Sophia.
Very good. Let's circle Burlington, East Providence.
So Sophia's right in directly to your network.
We're going to add her in her.
Debbie - and the name?
Maria.
So Naomie, we've taken your small network
and we've just made it double in size.
Mom, do you think this is a safe approach
of places that we'd be going to
because we know someone there already?
Yeah.
And we're going to go back
and we're going to try to connect with those people.
Let's see what we're doing.
Hello.
Hi, Sam. Hi, Naomie.
This is my client, Vicky. She's a little shy.
♪ ["Paciencia De Jo" by Bosq plays] ♪
I had a student once who got a foiling comb
stuck in a client's hair.
I'm not sure how that happened, but she did.
Just hold the comb like so and just slice into it like that.
See how I'm making all these little strands?
Now take the water bottle.
Sometimes they want to snap back at you.
[sniffs]
Let go of that one.
There we go.
Let me help you with that pinching part 'cause that's
a little tricky.
That's good, right there.
About 15 minutes left for hair and makeup.
I gotta go get my outfit.
She's going to put her outfit on, ok? Yeah.
Justin Bieber. Justin Bieber.
She did a nice set. Oh, really? Yeah.
You're all set? Yeah.
You're good? You're ready to go?
Yeah.
[kids laughing and playing]
There's a trail over there.
There is a trail.
We can walk, but I want to know where he wants to go.
Where do you want to go?
Alright. We can do that. Why don't you lead the way?
Around 18 months, his word count began to drop off.
Though he wasn't speaking, he was still picking up
things - ideas, thoughts, interacting.
He was still growing. He was still there.
And then they came back and said, "Oh, you know what?
He appears to be on the autistic spectrum."
We had to fight for him to be in an inclusive
environment - being
exposed to the same things that other children are exposed to.
We have to broaden our understanding
of what intelligence is.
Naieer has wonderful pitch.
He sees different variations in colors and light
that I don't necessarily see or put together.
♪ ["Obstacles" by Matisyahu plays] ♪
♪ Take two steps forward, one step back ♪
♪ Every time I get on track the light fades to black ♪
I want him to be able to stretch himself
to his full capacity.
As a mother, I'm not going to try to fix him or change him.
I accept him for who he is.
You look and see what they're good at and you nurture that.
That's just being a parent.
He is going to college. It's not a hope; he is going.
♪ Obstacles they come and go
♪ That's the name of this game you know ♪
♪ This life can't be bought nor sold ♪
♪ Just play your cards then fold ♪
Alright, lead the way.
So how many do you have in the show altogether?
Six.
Ok. Your composition and your whole thing - the way
it follows through is really wonderful.
I wanted to talk about empowering narratives
that were free from the constant negative
images we ingest of black bodies.
Of criminality. Of superstition. Of subjugation.
I challenge you all to look around and really see,
you know, what stories are we consuming here?
Who is telling them? And what stories are missing?
Because at the heart of any power to change any of this
is our ability to represent ourselves.
When you're talking about inclusion,
you're talking about all these things.
Inclusion is meaningless without empowerment.
If you're not empowering marginalized groups,
then your movement is toothless.
What do you remember most about today?
Be...be ourselves.
Be ourselves.
Alright, that's powerful.
[music plays in the bar]
[dog barking]
Yeah, she's like my first friend
that I wanted to like go out and meet,
and like have her like be my girlfriend.
I'm hoping like down the road
we will be able to like
maybe hug each other and kiss.
Maybe down the road maybe share a house - not right now
because that would be I think overdoing it.
What does a good relationship mean to you?
What would a good relationship be?
Like somebody that cares about me and like wants to be with me
and help me and like live with me
and maybe cook food together.
Maybe go to a Syracuse basketball game.
I think everyone should be able to get married
or meet other people.
And dating - they should be able to do that
because it's their right.
And maybe down the road I might be interested in having sex.
Maybe one time I would like to maybe be a dad,
but I don't think right now.
[toothbrush noise]
Like watching colleagues who work at the university
and people that are parents.
I'm like amazed of how they go to work
and then come home
and like make sure that every child is fed
and, I just, it's like lots of work to be a parent.
[talking at the table]
I hope you're doing well.
Are you planning on coming to my meeting?
It'll be starting soon.
I'm going to meet like Meghan's family tonight
and it'll be fun.
I'm going to buy some flowers.
For Meghan or for her mom? Or both?
For her mom.
Ohh - smart! Smart!
Do people have any good like questions to ask them?
Sometimes people like having questions asked about them.
Just stay away from politics and religion.
Those are the two things you don't need to talk about.
I'll just be myself and be happy
and I'll just tell them
that I'm a nice person and I'm Micah.
[giggles]
Hello.
Hi, how are you?
Good.
I'm Bridget.
Nice to meet you, Micah. I'm Meghan's mom.
Hi. I'm Jim.
This is Ryan.
Are these for Meghan or for me?
No, for you.
Oh, thank you! That's really nice.
You can sit here. I'm not gonna bite.
You're not? No!
Well, Mom's going to sit here.
I'm not a vampire.
So, Micah, you don't drive at all though, huh?
No, I don't. But I learned how to take public -
Oh really? Yeah.
And I have like paid staff that can help me.
Oh, that's nice. You have to do the timesheets?
Yeah, yeah.
You do that?
Yeah. You do all that?
And it's work, but it's like a cool thing to be in charge of.
Yeah. Yeah, that's great.
That's good.
That's great. We'll have to teach Meghan, huh?
You'll have to teach her, too, Micah.
Yeah, I will.
You'll have to show her the ropes.
Show her the ropes.
About five years ago, she dislocated her knee.
When we took her to the hospital,
because she was over 18,
they could not give us any information.
So for that reason, I feel like we need to be her guardian
to make important decisions for her.
I had a question. Like if her and I took a picture,
would you be ok if I posted it on like Facebook?
Sure. If it's ok with Meg. Is it ok?
Mhmm.
Yeah, that would be fine.
I should ask you who do you want to be president?
Uh oh.
Uh, I -
I'll probably think about it. I'm not sure yet.
Yeah.
Hey, you finally got him to smile.
He's not gloomy.
So it's nice to get to meet you finally.
Meghan talks about you a lot, Micah.
Yeah, I know.
Right? Yes.
But uh, it was good food, thank you.
Bye.
Thank you for the flowers. That was nice.
They seem like very friendly and nice.
Yeah, I told you - laid back? Yeah.
I am a little surprised
that they want to try to get full,
full, full um -
Guardianship? Did they mention that?
Yeah. No, no, I think, I think it's going to work out good.
And I'll learn but I just want to make sure
that she knows how to advocate for herself.
This is a checklist and it tells you
what kinds of artwork
the colleges are looking for.
Have you done any portraits
or figure drawings in Mr. Z's class?
Yeah.
Still lifes?
Yeah.
Remember when you drew this?
Yeah.
There's another one that you did here.
Remember when you did this one?
Yeah. Alright.
So instead of Mr. Z's classroom, right,
you get to make maybe sculptures
or 3-dimensional - well,
3-dimensional sculptures or more paintings
or drawings in a bigger space, too.
Are you excited for that?
Yeah. Yeah?
Alright, we'll look at that
and when we do our portfolio classes,
we can focus on some of those.
Whether it's college, trade school, something - students
need something beyond a high school education.
Going to college for the sake
of going to college isn't important.
Going to college for the sake of bettering
his life, financial success -
So we'll have to get you looking at the master
piece of artwork. Did you start that yet?
If he actually wants to go himself
and it's not just sort of being pushed on him,
that's the most important thing.
Start working on that today, alright?
Hi, Naieer.
We, as a society, have overvalued college
and undervalued the trades.
Those are good paying jobs.
Those are jobs that aren't leaving.
[bus engine]
Hi, Carlos. Good.
You're gonna be what?
An assistant.
Are you a little nervous?
No.
There ya go.
The paper and the rods - actually passing them to me
is actually a really big help because if not,
I'd be stuck trying to grab the papers by myself.
There ya go.
♪ ["More Heavy" by Bosq plays]
I think because of Naomie's unconditional love
she has for what she does... when she smiles,
she just lights up the room.
Thank you Naomie.
And I think it's a "win win" for everyone.
This is how to do well in school.
This is how to not get in trouble.
This is how to wash dishes.
But why do I have to do work like that?
This is how to take a shower.
This is how you ignore someone who is mean to you.
But why does anyone be mean to me, big brother?
Stay focused. Be positive.
[dog barking]
I've been living in Rhode Island my whole life,
and I love travelling.
But I can't just up and leave my sister.
So that definitely holds me back - a lot.
♪ ["I Got the Juice" by Moetsky plays] ♪
Yeah.
Last video I put out -"Got the Juice" -
she's been watching that every day.
She's like running up her data plan.
Here's my little sister, right here.
She brought her camera crew with her.
♪ Fall in love, fall in love
♪ To sex, money, cars and clothes. ♪
I feel like I'm an artist now.
I feel like I'm more all-around.
It's not just like one thing.
I can do everything, from writing a song
to shooting the video
and whatever - all that stuff.
[Steven sings "Got the Juice"]
I think Naomie could definitely live on her own
if she had like a good set-up
and had someone coming in, checking in on her.
You know, kind of putting a blueprint for her,
that she can learn and figure out how to do on a daily basis.
I think she'd definitely be good at that.
Who knows, maybe the Empire Beauty
School - who knows what that could lead to?
♪ Yeah, girl I got the juice, yeah, baby girl ♪
♪ I got the juice
Hey, Naomie. Hey.
Hi, sweetheart.
How you guys doing?
Come on in.
Are you still ok with doing the towels? Yeah.
Remember Melissa at the front desk?
Yeah. Helping her out
when the customers come in to greet them?
Yeah.
Ok. And then fundraising.
So we're going to be looking for you
to help assist with that.
Yeah.
Are you ok with that? Yeah.
We want to offer you "Project Assistant" at $12 an hour.
How does that sound, honey?
Yeah. Yeah?
You want to be part of the Empire family?
Make some money -
Oh, you want to make some money?
So you can go out for lunch? Yeah.
Can I have my hug? Yeah.
Welcome aboard, honey.
Do you want to meet our newest Empire employee?
Awesome! That's so great!
Congratulations.
I want a big hug, too. Thank you for all your help.
You were very good.
♪ ["Shade from the Sun" by Matisyahu plays] ♪
Awesome.
I'm happy today.
You're happy today.
I did it.
You did it! Awesome.
♪ ♪
Here you go - I got it, I got it.
Yeah, so you start on the left side and you go to the right.
Get next to him, Emma.
Ah, thank you!
That's a great picture.
[graduation music plays]
[names of graduates are called]
Micah Fialka-Feldman.
Certificate, School of Education.
[cheers and clapping]
♪
How about over here, Micah?
Is that ok?
You want alumni on this?
Yeah. Alright.
When Micah was in high school,
the Director of Special Education,
he sort of made a joke and then he said,
"Oh, you're all going to go - you think you're going to
go to Brown University?"
And the whole staff laughed.
So what you did is open doors that very few others have done.
There's more doors to open.
Absolutely. There's no question. Absolutely.
I'll like be around still.
You have to do it again. It's on the wrong side.
Oh, yes. Thank you.
You coming back to Michigan?
No, I don't live there anymore.
You don't live there? No.
What are you going to do the rest of your life?
I'll think about that Tuesday at my meeting.
Sounds fair.
I'll come by and say hi.
Oh good!
I'm not like leaving after graduation.
I'm gonna be here still.
[violin music plays in the tent]
Micah and I live closer to each other
than we do to our parents.
And I don't know if anyone knew
that that was going to be possible in his life.
It's something that like makes me emotional
because like it's just these constant reminders
that you don't know what people are going to do.
Hi. Hi, Micah.
Does it still happen in schools
where people have really low expectations for kids?
All the time.
If you give somebody a label of a 40 IQ, right,
what are our expectations of that person?
But I'm going to have to cut this off
so we can talk about the next piece.
1980 to now - the Self-Advocacy Movement.
And Micah, you're going to talk about this one, right?
Yeah.
Ed Roberts was the founder of the Independent Living Movement
and he helped get the first
ever disability group in California
and here and around the whole like country and stuff.
The thing from the New York Times,
yeah, I have some comments.
I'll say that lots of people in society
still think that people with disabilities
still have the mindset of sending them away.
We can make differences be problematic.
We can make differences be what divides us.
Or we can make differences be the thing
that makes us stronger.
Uh, here's my family - my mom, my dad,
and like my younger sister,
and they helped me go to college and stuff.
I kind of like watched my parents fight for me
and then kind of helped me understand
that sometimes you have to like fight
to like get what you want.
We're coming up on lavender...grape vines.
It's a perfect picture on a summer's day.
Jesse was, and still is, a force in this world.
We need to be able to listen to all who are marginalized
by these misguided
and false measurements of worth.
As Jesse said in his last poem,
"I'm a poet. I speak through my poems, and people listen.
The world is my book. I hear all its voices."
What college do you think you're going to go to?
Do you know yet?
Nah.
Do you want to go to college?
Yeah.
Anyone here like to sing, act, dance, paint?
A lot of you guys? Alright. That's awesome.
So I want to take you up to the fourth floor.
Alright guys, down this hallway are all our new art studios.
You can get credit towards your degree
for doing things you enjoy like painting and sculpting.
Do you have any idea what you want to study?
Engineering.
Engineering, great.
Business.
Art.
Art. You do art now?
Yeah. Are you any good?
Yeah.
♪ ["Built to Survive" by Matisyahu plays] ♪
We have over 150 clubs on campus.
So we send students to over 150 countries around the world.
You saw the art department?
Yeah. Yeah, was it cool?
Yeah.
♪ I am alive. I have survived. ♪
♪ My time is here.
Was it a good trip overall?
Yeah.
What did you like better? This or BC?
This.
♪ One more chance One more day ♪
♪ To find a way to say
♪ What I forgot yesterday
♪ Am I built to survive?
♪ Fading colors melt the skies
♪ Shifting winds, ♪ sand storms of time
♪ I am yours, you are mine
♪ I am love, play my strings
♪ Play my heart, ♪ my memories