What would happen if we allowed oppressed talent to be fully expressed?
“Tremendous amounts of talent are lost to our society just because that talent wears a skirt.” — Shirley Chisholm
This morning, I am compelled to share this powerful quote as a woman who has experienced the reality of being treated as “less than” simply because I am a woman. “Don’t be paranoid,” he whispered in my ear. It was creepy. Moreover, it was disgusting to know he was lying to my face.
This morning, I am compelled to expand upon this quote to include all of the talent that sits on the sidelines of the neurodiversity debate, as society struggles to find ways to incorporate those who have brains that operate differently from the “norm.” As an acquired savant, I am neurodivergent — my brain works differently, and it is shocking to see the ways that we treat those who have different neurological operating systems.
This morning, I am compelled to expand even further to include those of us who are filled with extraordinary talent, yet our disabilities/health issues make others uncomfortable…so we are held back or kept out of the normative circles.
This morning I must ask the question — What would happen if we allowed oppressed talent to be fully expressed?
This article was also published on the Blue Phoenix Blog located on Medium
https://bluephoenixart.medium.com/
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