There are many miraculous people on this planet. Some of these people have had miraculous experiences, others have accomplished miraculous success, and some people remind us of how miraculous our lives really are. Every now and then someone comes along who shows us that miracles really are possible. That was what a mentally handicapped African American boy from Anderson, South Carolina was put on this Earth to do.
The word “miraculous” pretty much describes James Robert “Radio” Kennedy’s whole life. In 1947, he was born into a small family in South Carolina, and he suffered from a severe hereditary mental handicap. Both James Robert Kennedy’s deceased father, and younger brother, George Allan “Cool Rock” Kennedy, suffered from the same condition. Radio could not read, write, or speak, making it impossible to play and learn like other kids. When James was young, he would push a shopping cart around Anderson, North Carolina, and listen to a small radio. The town accepted James, but did not spend much time trying to get to know him. Although James had a fairly quiet life, he was in for quite a roller coaster ride. That ride started when he met one man in the fall of 1964.
Coach Harold Jones was an assistant varsity football coach at T.L. Hanna High School in Anderson, North Carolina. One day he saw a young man mimicking the signals he was giving the boys on the field, and invited the boy over, offering him soda and candy. This boy was James, and at the time he could not read, write, or talk. It became obvious to Coach Jones that James was mentally handicapped, and he invited him to more of the football practices. When the football team saw how obsessed James was with his small radio, they gave him the nickname that he would end up...
... middle of paper ...
... alive today.
Every living person has the ability to love. It is the gift we are given to make this world a better place. Sadly, many people do not use this love to its full potential, and that leads to people in less fortunate situations suffering. That is not the type of person Radio is though. Love has always been the most important part of Radio’s roller coaster life, and even though he will never reach the mental ability an average person has, his ability to love will always remain much higher.
Works Cited
http://www.radioandcoachjones.com/OurStory.html http://www.anderson5.net//site/default.aspx?PageID=2573 http://espn.go.com/page2/s/merron/031105.html http://www.chasingthefrog.com/reelfaces/radio.php http://si.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1009232/index.htm http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0316465/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS4-kUlQOqI
James Robert "Radio" Kennedy, is a mentally challenged, young Black man, who in the mid 1970's, spent his afternoons walking past the local high school football field. Radio would walk past the field pushing a shopping cart every day. In the cart was a radio. One day a football came over the fence nearby where he was standing, watching and learning how to coach and how to make friends with many people, and as he picked up the ball, he looked at the players and the coach and walked away with it. Coach Jones invited Radio to be his assistant. The football players didn't like this, so they tortured the young man in every way they could possibly think of. Coach Jones didn't tolerate this kind of behavior and asked Radio to stay as long as he wanted. Some people in the town complained that Radio was a distraction to Coach Jones and the football team, but soon he would change T.L. Hannah High School forever.
...y had endured. It’s inspiring that two children who have been to hell and back can remain positive and still become successful young adults. Their disabilities have made them stronger, more determined people. Mariatu Kamara and Ishmael Beah’s stories show that no matter how hard life can get, no matter how hard or how many times life knocks one down, he or she can always pick him or herself up and turn their life around for the better.
Coach Herman Boone is the main African-American character in this film. He is a football coach who is brought in by the newly diversified T.C. Williams High School as a form of affirmative action. This character struggles throughout the movie with dealing with the prejudices of his players, of other football coaches, of parents, and even of the school board who hired him in order to try to create a winning football team. Another key black character is Julius Campbell. He plays a linebacker who ends up becoming best friends with a white linebacker on the team. He, too, struggles with prejudices from some of his teammates and people in the town because of the new desegregation of the team. The remaining black players on the T.C. Williams High School had very similar roles in the film. Petey Jones, Jerry Williams (quarterback), and Blue Stanton all are shown facing racial inequality by players, citizens, and even other football coaches. The attitudes of ...
He lived a life without parental guidance. His mother left him with his father when he was only 4 years old. James was often left alone while his father traveled to turpentine camps selling tar for a living. James recalls the times he spent alone walking around in the woods looking for doodlebugs, and playing a harmonica his father gave him. During this time alone, he never had anyone around to talk to but himself (Brenchley, 2003).
instituted in a mental health facility since he was five years of age. He was able to identify his own health problem, yet he was still dealing with his symptoms and “gift.”
written by Dean R. Owen is a series of reflections of people who knew and
Boone faces the challenge of being accepted by the community, encouraging them to work together rather than judging and persecuting one another. At that time in Alexandria, Virginia there was an active atmosphere of racial tension within the community between both the African American and Caucasian population. Boone, a black coach, faces the challenge of taking on a new position as head coach of the T.C Williams High School football team. This is fraught with conflict and peril however due to the opposition of those that do not and will not accept the integration of black and white students into mixed race schools. In a move by the school board coach Boone is now unknowingly threatened by the loss of his job if The Titans loose a match. If The Titans are to loose a match Coach Boone will not only loose his job, both himself and the community will loose the hope of ever having this system of integration work. Boone in an effort to be accepted by the community uses his work with the football team to support the system of integration by emphasizing that he is in fact a valued ...
It all started May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Massachusetts, the day John F. Kennedy was born. Jack as the Kennedy’s called him was born to the parents Joseph P. and Rose Kennedy. Jack may not have been the first born in the family, but he certainly wasn’t the last. He was born as the second child out of nine children in the family, and they all were successful. All eleven of the Kennedy’s lived in a clapboard house in Brookline, a town just outside of Boston. Jack had a lot to live up to though, being the second born and also being named after Rose’s father John F. Fitzgerald, or Honey Fitz as some referred to him as. Honey Fitz was a popular politician and a former mayor of Boston.
John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born May 29, 1917 in Brookline, Ma. He was born into a very wealthy family the Fitzgerald and the Kennedy’s, both were prominent Irish Catholic families. JFK was the second oldest out of 9 siblings which they were all extraordinary siblings, and from Eunice Kennedy founding the Special Olympics, Robert Kennedy being a U.S. Attorney General, and Ted Kennedy was one of the most persuasive senators in American History. But other than all of them being substantial to the Government they remained close-knit and supportive of each other throughout their unified lives. JFK attended a Catholic boys boarding school in New Milford, Connecticut called Canterbury, where exceeded in English and history but nearly flunked out of Latin, which he did not have any interest. After he got out of Canterbury he went on to Choate, which is an exclusive Connecticut preparatory school. After graduating from Choate and went to Princeton University for one semester then in 1936 Kennedy transferred to Harvard University. While he was there he was proving to be an average student due to his interest in sports and women. He was also very popular with his classmates at Harvard. As he grew older he began taking his studies seriously and began to realize his pot...
In conclusion, Even though we will never experience the sight of an angel or have a miracle to appreciate, we often forget to accept the common and normal things that we have until it is too late. We may search most of our whole lives for something, only to have it later pass us right by. At the end, just as in the beginning, a normal person is confronted with a series of unbelievable events, and fails to see this amazing moment happening in their life. In the end, the family probably goes back to their everyday lives, never truly understanding and appreciating the miracle that they had just witnessed.
One man’s tragedy can define the lives of others. This was the result of the tragedy that befell James Blackbird in David Alexander Robertson and Scott B. Henderson’s graphic novel; 7 Generations. James, to the dismay of his wife and son, let these events define him and turn him into an alcoholic who never stopped mourning the loss of his brother Thomas Blackbird. Today, I want to prove that the long-lasting scars residential school left on him, should not cause him to be the source of blame for the shattering of his life.
After viewing life’s greatest miracle I was shocked on how much work there is involved on creating a healthy child. Yes, I know any two people can be involved in this process, but it is all amazing on how a child is born. Anyone who has given birth knows it also consist of a lot of hard work in the delivery room as well as the years to follow. A child is a miracle given to us from God and the video shows all the stages in great detail and explains the process in steps anyone can understand.
God can do amazing things through ordinary people. God can and will do the same through us if we fully submit ourselves to Him.
Try to envision being born without any hands or feet, arms or legs and given no warning or medical reason or explanation for having that congental anomaly. Now picture how you would live if you could not walk, do daily tasks, such as feeding yourself, brushing your teeth, going to the bathroom on your own, or writing, etc. I am sure you could only imagine the countless number of obstacles and challenges Nick faced just with things like life skills on a daily basis. However, Nick has overcome what most people would say is absolutely impossible, and he is now traveling world wide sharing his testimony, and he gives God all of the credit for his strength to do this.
We are eternally grateful to my brother for his generous act. He has made such a difference in our lives. I’ve thanked him, of course, but he says he got as much out of the experience as he gave. I’ve asked him how he found the courage to be a donor and he says he just believed it was the right thing to do. Maybe that is what makes a hero, someone who has the courage to speak out and act on their beliefs. He is certainly a hero to me.