A Night to Remember
Back on May 19th, I participated in a TEDx talk with five amazing humans. All were members of the school community within the school I work at in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
The full title of the event was YOUTH@FSA “In Flux”. For anyone like me who didn’t know a whole lot about TED Talks, the ‘x’ at the end meant that it was an independently organized TED event. So while it had the same feel as the TED Talks you may see online, it was not an official TED event. Like a TED light.
The Line-Up
I was honored to share the stage with a woman named Natalie, a parent at the school. She spoke of “Being a Lifelong Learner.” There were three amazingly intelligent middle schoolers who spoke. Ari, Brandy and Erin’s topics included “The Tongue of Poetry”, “Turning Struggle into Strength” and “Uncut” which dealt primarily with the struggles of being a young black woman. The other staff member, Kevin Ozar, who is now retired but plans on touring the country with his motivational speeches, delivered the final talk entitled, “Under the Sea: A Tale of Living in the Present.”
The event was started by one of our wonderful 7th-grade teachers, Mr. Franks, and hosted at a nearby high school within the district.
“The Value of Hidden Stories”
I was asked to give my TEDx Talk on the value of hidden stories. Every time I begin writing a new episode or searching for a topic, I always end up digging way down deeper than I intended to. As I’ve mentioned before, several family heirlooms led me to begin this podcast. In my talk, I mention that it’s also important to dig within your own family. To ask questions of people who lived the history before it’s too late.
Despite my nerves, it was one of my favorite nights in a long time. If you’d like to watch my portion of the TEDx Event, you can watch below. The other five talks should be posted via the TED organization soon.
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