Roosevelt Mitchell, author of “The Disabled Scholar” spoke February 12th at Florissant Valley during an African American Heritage Lunch and Learn event. Mitchell gave insight into his upbringing affected by his parents' drug use and his mother suffered from schizophrenia.
During his talk Mitchell blamed his parents for his failures and later realized he was responsible for his own life, when he was taken in by a Caucasian family who would not take no for an answer.
“l went from shaking roaches out my clothes to the other side of town," Mitchell said. "Green grass, getting lunch money, and eating dinner with them made life feel like a Leave it to Beaver episode.”
Mitchell also discussed African American depictions in media and society. He believes that television shows like Empire, Scandal, and How to Get Away with Murder negatively impact black culture. He asked the question “Do black lives matter?” to the crowd. “We have to think for ourselves.” Mitchell encourages everyone to learn history for themselves instead of letting other people tell what they think should be known.
By: Travonte Harris
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