When I was 15, I went to a birthday party for one of my cousins. I was trying to get closer to my family. I wanted to understand my Caribbean Culture.
A lot of you can relate to this outsider scenario. I’m sitting in corner, twisting my scraggly bleached dreads for a lack of anything better to do. The younger girls of my very mainstream St. Lucian family do the butterfly to Shabba Ranks. Gnawing at Jerk Chicken bones, the elders sit around a table, digging for marrow and sucking their teeth.
... and I'm the "different" one?
I was bored and the growing pile of bone shards was making me sick.
“Welp, let me find the bathroom that should take up a 3 to 5 minutes”. I thought to myself.
I’d never been to my Auntie’s apartment so while looking for the bathroom, I happened across another cousin. A grown man, hunched over and dragging his feet as he walked. I said hi and gave a wave. He turned to me but only grunts came from his gummy smile. Before I could try to shake his hand, my Aunt scurried in shoving him into his room.
” I told you to stay back there.” she yelled.
This man, my cousin, is severely mentally handicapped and I had no idea he existed. Seventeen years later, I still wished I stood up for him. I wish I would have asked her to let him come and party with us. But I was an outsider. I was skittish. I was silent.
I’ve always had a soft spot for the handicapped. Clearly it’s because my mom has been a special ed teacher for as long as I can remember. Having grown up going to her classes and learning from them, I’ve always been irked by their mistreatment.
Here we have people who, if mentally handicapped, maintain a childlike sweetness though out adulthood yet they are treated worse then animals. Surly my Auntie would have let the cat roam free in the house.
For those who are physically challenged this treatment is even worse. They have a full comprehension of societies disdain for them, still little can be done.
Yesterday, NPR’s “the world” programme covered who I can only imagine will become the one of the greatest spokesmen for the handicapped community. They are called STAFF BENDA BILILI. They are Congolese, homeless, disfigured from childhood polio, and quite possibly some of the best musicians and inventors you will ever hear.
They’ve built there own wheelchairs out of bikes (you know I love that) and one plays a “guitar” made of a tin can and one string.
I may have the ability to use all my limbs but I still don’t have the strength to stand up for my cousin. It’s as plain as day, the members of STAFF BENDA BILILI, do.
How badass is this shot?
Go to there myspace page here.
Check out this trailer for an upcoming documentary
6 Comments
July 2, 2009 at 5:43 pm
your memories do not betray but empower to change.
July 3, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Your article today was heartfelt. Its never too late to reach out to our “Special” brothers and sisters. I am very pleased to know the sensitivity you feel for the “challenged” population.I always remind others that we too may or will be “challenged ” one day in our lives- whether we become so from disease, an accident of sort or when we reach our elder years.
As a Special Education teacher , since 1980, I have a vast experience with my amazing students. I always tell others it is my “honor” to teach and train the students I work with. They bring me joy and enlightenment each and everyday.
These videos of the Staff Benda Billi are fantastic. The music ,as well as the lyrics are not only sensitive but educational. Thank you for making us aware of the Staff Benda Billi group. I am sure their community is quite proud of their message as I am.
Which reminds me- here in Brooklyn today they said there is a break out of MEASLES amongst 10 or so children and some adults.I was quite surprised because this is quite rare now. Everyone knows that exposure to people who have not been immunized can be very serious or fatal. Ex. an infant can not be immunized for measles until they are about a year old I believe- so you want to make sure they baby is only around children who have been immunized. Scarey. Back to the Benda Billi group- they would be a great health advertisment even here in Brooklyn. WoW! The world is getting very close.
July 9, 2009 at 1:37 pm
it really sucks to not know much about your own culture. although im not biracial (im black of many ethnicities) my mom is Jamaican my dad is from Trinidad his mom is from Venezuela an his dad is from Grenada . . . i feel disconnected from his side of the family i don’t know much about them. but i do make an effort to get to know the culture
July 9, 2009 at 4:40 pm
looovely
August 9, 2009 at 6:32 am
Love the videos of Staff Benda Bilili and wanted to share on my Facebook page however the youtube video doesn’t have the English subtitles. Is there another URL that needs to be used to display the one you have here?
August 9, 2009 at 2:36 pm
you should be able to get the embed code right off the youtube page. type in popnbottles or jspooner to see all my videos. the staff benda bilili one is among them.
james