Why This Work Matters

“Vocational training changed my parents’ lives. My mission is to ensure today’s Deaf individuals have the same opportunity for meaningful careers and economic independence.”

 

This program holds deep personal significance. I was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, in a household shaped by the resilience and determination of two Deaf parents. My parents migrated from the American South to Detroit during the late 1960s, part of a generation seeking better opportunity and stability. My mother was born Deaf, and my father lost his hearing as a child. They faced what I often describe as a double barrier—being both Black and Deaf in a society that offered limited opportunity for either community.

They were often misunderstood and mislabeled with terms such as “dumb,” “retarded,” or “unemployable.” Yet they were intelligent, resourceful, and determined people who simply needed access to opportunity.

As the Civil Rights Movement began opening doors that had long been closed, vocational training programs played a transformative role in their lives. My father obtained stable employment with General Motors Coach & Group where he worked for more than two decades. My mother later completed training through Michigan Rehabilitation Services and built a successful ten-year career with Goodwill Industries.

Their stories are living proof that when rehabilitation programs invest in individuals with disabilities, they do far more than create jobs—they strengthen families, expand opportunity, and uplift entire communities.

My mission continues that legacy by ensuring that today’s Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals have equal access to advancement, meaningful careers, and long-term economic independence.