Les Brown

Mr. Leroy Washington, I went in his class one day and I was looking for a friend of mine. When I was in the fifth grade, I was labeled educable mentally retarded. So when you are in special education, as they call it, and you're not mainstream, they call it the Dodo Award. And I was looking for this friend of mine who was in his class.

Mr. Leroy Washington, I went in his class one day and I was looking for a friend of mine. When I was in the fifth grade, I was labeled educable mentally retarded. So when you are in special education, as they call it, and you're not mainstream, they call it the Dodo Award. And I was looking for this friend of mine who was in his class.

Mr. Leroy Washington, I went in his class one day and I was looking for a friend of mine. When I was in the fifth grade, I was labeled educable mentally retarded. So when you are in special education, as they call it, and you're not mainstream, they call it the Dodo Award. And I was looking for this friend of mine who was in his class.

And he said, young man, I want you to go to the front of the room. I want you to work something out for me. And I said, sir, I cannot do that. He said, why not? I said, I'm not going to be a student. So he said, do it anyhow. And I said, I can't, sir. And the other students started laughing, saying, he's Leslie. He's a twin. His brother, Wesley, is smart. He's DT. And he asked, what's DT?

And he said, young man, I want you to go to the front of the room. I want you to work something out for me. And I said, sir, I cannot do that. He said, why not? I said, I'm not going to be a student. So he said, do it anyhow. And I said, I can't, sir. And the other students started laughing, saying, he's Leslie. He's a twin. His brother, Wesley, is smart. He's DT. And he asked, what's DT?

And he said, young man, I want you to go to the front of the room. I want you to work something out for me. And I said, sir, I cannot do that. He said, why not? I said, I'm not going to be a student. So he said, do it anyhow. And I said, I can't, sir. And the other students started laughing, saying, he's Leslie. He's a twin. His brother, Wesley, is smart. He's DT. And he asked, what's DT?

He's the dumb twin. And they started laughing. And I said, I am, sir. He came from behind his desk. He said, don't you ever say that again. Someone's opinion of you does not have to become your reality. Do you hear me? And I said, yes, sir. And he startled me that something in that day was a day that turned my life around.

He's the dumb twin. And they started laughing. And I said, I am, sir. He came from behind his desk. He said, don't you ever say that again. Someone's opinion of you does not have to become your reality. Do you hear me? And I said, yes, sir. And he startled me that something in that day was a day that turned my life around.

He's the dumb twin. And they started laughing. And I said, I am, sir. He came from behind his desk. He said, don't you ever say that again. Someone's opinion of you does not have to become your reality. Do you hear me? And I said, yes, sir. And he startled me that something in that day was a day that turned my life around.

My mother said, sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you. Words can hurt you and very deeply. But when he spoke to me like that, how he looked at me as saying that, you know, even though I was humiliated, But on the other hand, I was liberated. He looked at me with the eyes of Gerda who said, look at a man the way that he is, he only becomes worse.

My mother said, sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you. Words can hurt you and very deeply. But when he spoke to me like that, how he looked at me as saying that, you know, even though I was humiliated, But on the other hand, I was liberated. He looked at me with the eyes of Gerda who said, look at a man the way that he is, he only becomes worse.

My mother said, sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can never hurt you. Words can hurt you and very deeply. But when he spoke to me like that, how he looked at me as saying that, you know, even though I was humiliated, But on the other hand, I was liberated. He looked at me with the eyes of Gerda who said, look at a man the way that he is, he only becomes worse.

But look at him as if he were what he could be, then he becomes what he should be. And so that day, this man spoke to me and he introduced me to a part of myself that I did not know existed. We all have the power, I believe, to communicate, and speak to people in a way and take them to a place within themselves so they can never go by themselves.

But look at him as if he were what he could be, then he becomes what he should be. And so that day, this man spoke to me and he introduced me to a part of myself that I did not know existed. We all have the power, I believe, to communicate, and speak to people in a way and take them to a place within themselves so they can never go by themselves.

But look at him as if he were what he could be, then he becomes what he should be. And so that day, this man spoke to me and he introduced me to a part of myself that I did not know existed. We all have the power, I believe, to communicate, and speak to people in a way and take them to a place within themselves so they can never go by themselves.

And that's why I do what I do now, why I speak, to create a significant emotional event, to introduce an audience individually and collectively to a part of themselves that they don't know right now. Psychologists call it scotomas, blind spots, that you can't look in your own eyes and sometimes We have to believe in somebody's belief in us until our belief kicks in.

And that's why I do what I do now, why I speak, to create a significant emotional event, to introduce an audience individually and collectively to a part of themselves that they don't know right now. Psychologists call it scotomas, blind spots, that you can't look in your own eyes and sometimes We have to believe in somebody's belief in us until our belief kicks in.

And that's why I do what I do now, why I speak, to create a significant emotional event, to introduce an audience individually and collectively to a part of themselves that they don't know right now. Psychologists call it scotomas, blind spots, that you can't look in your own eyes and sometimes We have to believe in somebody's belief in us until our belief kicks in.

Yes. Oh, absolutely. Oh, my goodness. I'll never forget when I was going to appear on PBS to raise funds for public television. I had my friends to call him and His wife said, when the show came on, he said, Edith, please come look quick. It's the dumb twin. It's the dumb twin. At the end of the program, he called me in Columbus, Ohio. I had just been reelected to the Ohio legislature.

Yes. Oh, absolutely. Oh, my goodness. I'll never forget when I was going to appear on PBS to raise funds for public television. I had my friends to call him and His wife said, when the show came on, he said, Edith, please come look quick. It's the dumb twin. It's the dumb twin. At the end of the program, he called me in Columbus, Ohio. I had just been reelected to the Ohio legislature.