as I look out I see a sea of possibility
and potential robot row see if I see
each of us uniquely woven together a
special we have vessels carrying a cargo
that unloads healing capabilities this
is essential so let us grab our pencils
and together trace these dotted lines
that connect us purpose we define
purpose as the reason for which
something exists how often do we think
about purpose our purpose the purpose of
the things around us
let’s take light for example what is the
purpose of light what does light allow
us to do why do we need light for a
moment as we consider these questions I
want the room to get dull and I want us
to observe how this experience changes
when light is removed from the equation
I want you to take a moment to consider
your thoughts in this time and
afterwards I will ask two to three
people to share with me what you thought
about how you felt so just take a moment
to collect your thoughts think about
what are you observing right now what
as the lights now come back I want you
to collect those thoughts that you
gathered and I’m going to ask two to
three people to then tell me their
feelings you how did you feel during
got you cool how about you sir
yes yes I’m certain great great
yes you the darkness consumed you Wow
okay well as seen in this demonstration
I believe we only begin to truly
understand the power the purpose and
function of something when they are
removed from the equation as a gentleman
just mentioned the darkness consumed him
it was my junior year here at Brandeis
when I studied abroad in South Africa
and there I met him do him do was in his
early 30s and he walked with the limp as
I got to know him more we began sharing
experiences he told me that he had polio
as a child he shared his experiences
growing up as in his community where he
faced discrimination these these
experiences then motivated him to create
the disability special project which was
a gardening project where where members
who identified as being differently
abled they could come and have a safe
and brave space to be a part of meeting
him do and hearing his story then
convinced me to come back and learn more
when I went back I met members who were
in the garden and they used to they told
me their stories I remember one of the
last questions I asked them if you were
to write a song to the community to help
them understand you better
what would you say they mustn’t see me
as useless because I can do great things
for them I am strong I am a human being
I can do things but they won’t let me do
them you see what I found was that there
was a disconnection between this
community and their perceptions of
themselves and how the greater community
viewed them and I think it was due to an
unwillingness of the greater community
to now listen to the stories of these
individuals in like manner I believe a
disconnection can also take place when
there is an unwillingness of individuals
to share their story and this could be
due to instances because of fear I
remember one day sitting in the waiting
room with my mother you see earlier that
that morning we had picked my brother up
from school because he complained of
something being wrong with his head as
we sat there I looked over to mom there
was a tear in her eye
What’s Wrong mom I asked Joe I hope your
brother doesn’t have the same condition
what condition she said Joe before you
were born your father was diagnosed with
a mental condition mental condition what
do you mean mental condition she said I
never really did get a sufficient answer
but you see this was the man who would
drive me and my brother to school every
morning and pick us up every evening
this was the man who taught me how to
play chess and checkmate my opponent in
four moves you see this was the man who
would pop in his favorite classic vinyl
CD every Saturday morning and dance with
us what do you mean mental condition I
was confused I felt deceived how could
he not tell me I began to see my dad
differently I place blame and resentment
on my dad only years later am I now
beginning to understand the mental
stigma the paralyzing stigma that
surrounds mental illness and I believe
as a result the stigma he was unwilling
to share his story with me which
resulted in a disconnection you see my
dad and meeting him do and the members
of that community those two experiences
have something in common in both
instances a narrative or story was
removed from the equation
resulting in disconnection
as seen earlier in our example with
light I believe we only begin to truly
understand the purpose and function of
something when it is removed from the
equation without light we cannot see
without light we are isolated we are in
darkness without light we are blinded I
believe it is the same with our stories
without our stories we are in this
connection you see our stories harness a
power that can connect us the moment we
stop sharing our stories the moment we
stop listening to the stories of others
is the moment we cut ourselves off from
those connections each and every day we
are gathering and collecting new stories
and every day we have another
opportunity to both share our story and
listen to the story of someone else I
believe no matter who we are no matter
where we are in the world our stories
heart are the thread that connect us
together and we can’t lose that that is
the healing factor you see at Brandeis I
was a pre-med student and I am on the
journey towards medical school currently
however no matter everyone here sitting
here today I believe we are all healers
and it is by that fact when we
understand the power of the store our
own stories recently when I went back
when I went back to that community in
South Africa and in that way I went with
the willingness to listen to the stories
of these members in this community and I
found that a door was open you see their
stories began flooding out at me and
they were so so happy to have someone
who was willing to listen to them in
like manner when I started to understand
more about this paralyzing stigma that
surrounds mental illness I again began
to see my father differently you see our
he was more open to now excelling his
experiences with me
and his story and as a result we became
closer recently I came across a video by
an artist named Joyner Lucas for his
song titled I’m not racist and while the
song may be controversial to some I find
it as a powerful and perfect example of
the power when we share our experience
our stories our perspective and listen
to the perspectives of someone else
especially if they’re different than us
you see in the first verse it is
narrated in the music video by white
male individual and he shares his
perspective of racial relations in
America he ends his verse by saying
there are two sides to every story and I
wish I knew yours the second verse then
responds and it is played by a black
male individual who then shares and
responds hid with his perspective of
race relations in America and he replies
there are two sides to every story and
now you know mine at the end of the
video after the second verse I believe
this is the most powerful point in the
video I see these two individuals get up
and they embraced each other if you
could for this moment with consent reach
out to someone who you do not know right
now reach out give them a handshake give
all right great you see in this moment
in this moment we just shared a
connection and that’s what these two
individuals did in that moment they
broke down stereotypes in that moment
they broke down biases they shared their
perspectives and a connection was made
those two individuals my dad him doing
the members of this project they all
remind me of a concept of philosophy
that I learned about while studying in
South Africa and it is called Ubuntu if
you could say Oh Boone – with me
Ubuntu one more time Ubuntu it simply
means I am because you are repeat after
me I am because you are one more time I
am because you are you see I am the only
reason I exist is if I know who you are
the only way I know who you are as if
I’ve heard your story
you see Oh Boone – speaks to this idea
that we are all connected
by the simple fact that we are human
that we share humanity our stories and
our narratives in which we all have to
share with the world they harness a
power that can heal both personally and
collectively today as I share this with
you now I am becoming a part of your
story and you a part of mine thank you
[Applause] you
and potential robot row see if I see
each of us uniquely woven together a
special we have vessels carrying a cargo
that unloads healing capabilities this
is essential so let us grab our pencils
and together trace these dotted lines
that connect us purpose we define
purpose as the reason for which
something exists how often do we think
about purpose our purpose the purpose of
the things around us
let’s take light for example what is the
purpose of light what does light allow
us to do why do we need light for a
moment as we consider these questions I
want the room to get dull and I want us
to observe how this experience changes
when light is removed from the equation
I want you to take a moment to consider
your thoughts in this time and
afterwards I will ask two to three
people to share with me what you thought
about how you felt so just take a moment
to collect your thoughts think about
what are you observing right now what
as the lights now come back I want you
to collect those thoughts that you
gathered and I’m going to ask two to
three people to then tell me their
feelings you how did you feel during
got you cool how about you sir
yes yes I’m certain great great
yes you the darkness consumed you Wow
okay well as seen in this demonstration
I believe we only begin to truly
understand the power the purpose and
function of something when they are
removed from the equation as a gentleman
just mentioned the darkness consumed him
it was my junior year here at Brandeis
when I studied abroad in South Africa
and there I met him do him do was in his
early 30s and he walked with the limp as
I got to know him more we began sharing
experiences he told me that he had polio
as a child he shared his experiences
growing up as in his community where he
faced discrimination these these
experiences then motivated him to create
the disability special project which was
a gardening project where where members
who identified as being differently
abled they could come and have a safe
and brave space to be a part of meeting
him do and hearing his story then
convinced me to come back and learn more
when I went back I met members who were
in the garden and they used to they told
me their stories I remember one of the
last questions I asked them if you were
to write a song to the community to help
them understand you better
what would you say they mustn’t see me
as useless because I can do great things
for them I am strong I am a human being
I can do things but they won’t let me do
them you see what I found was that there
was a disconnection between this
community and their perceptions of
themselves and how the greater community
viewed them and I think it was due to an
unwillingness of the greater community
to now listen to the stories of these
individuals in like manner I believe a
disconnection can also take place when
there is an unwillingness of individuals
to share their story and this could be
due to instances because of fear I
remember one day sitting in the waiting
room with my mother you see earlier that
that morning we had picked my brother up
from school because he complained of
something being wrong with his head as
we sat there I looked over to mom there
was a tear in her eye
What’s Wrong mom I asked Joe I hope your
brother doesn’t have the same condition
what condition she said Joe before you
were born your father was diagnosed with
a mental condition mental condition what
do you mean mental condition she said I
never really did get a sufficient answer
but you see this was the man who would
drive me and my brother to school every
morning and pick us up every evening
this was the man who taught me how to
play chess and checkmate my opponent in
four moves you see this was the man who
would pop in his favorite classic vinyl
CD every Saturday morning and dance with
us what do you mean mental condition I
was confused I felt deceived how could
he not tell me I began to see my dad
differently I place blame and resentment
on my dad only years later am I now
beginning to understand the mental
stigma the paralyzing stigma that
surrounds mental illness and I believe
as a result the stigma he was unwilling
to share his story with me which
resulted in a disconnection you see my
dad and meeting him do and the members
of that community those two experiences
have something in common in both
instances a narrative or story was
removed from the equation
resulting in disconnection
as seen earlier in our example with
light I believe we only begin to truly
understand the purpose and function of
something when it is removed from the
equation without light we cannot see
without light we are isolated we are in
darkness without light we are blinded I
believe it is the same with our stories
without our stories we are in this
connection you see our stories harness a
power that can connect us the moment we
stop sharing our stories the moment we
stop listening to the stories of others
is the moment we cut ourselves off from
those connections each and every day we
are gathering and collecting new stories
and every day we have another
opportunity to both share our story and
listen to the story of someone else I
believe no matter who we are no matter
where we are in the world our stories
heart are the thread that connect us
together and we can’t lose that that is
the healing factor you see at Brandeis I
was a pre-med student and I am on the
journey towards medical school currently
however no matter everyone here sitting
here today I believe we are all healers
and it is by that fact when we
understand the power of the store our
own stories recently when I went back
when I went back to that community in
South Africa and in that way I went with
the willingness to listen to the stories
of these members in this community and I
found that a door was open you see their
stories began flooding out at me and
they were so so happy to have someone
who was willing to listen to them in
like manner when I started to understand
more about this paralyzing stigma that
surrounds mental illness I again began
to see my father differently you see our
he was more open to now excelling his
experiences with me
and his story and as a result we became
closer recently I came across a video by
an artist named Joyner Lucas for his
song titled I’m not racist and while the
song may be controversial to some I find
it as a powerful and perfect example of
the power when we share our experience
our stories our perspective and listen
to the perspectives of someone else
especially if they’re different than us
you see in the first verse it is
narrated in the music video by white
male individual and he shares his
perspective of racial relations in
America he ends his verse by saying
there are two sides to every story and I
wish I knew yours the second verse then
responds and it is played by a black
male individual who then shares and
responds hid with his perspective of
race relations in America and he replies
there are two sides to every story and
now you know mine at the end of the
video after the second verse I believe
this is the most powerful point in the
video I see these two individuals get up
and they embraced each other if you
could for this moment with consent reach
out to someone who you do not know right
now reach out give them a handshake give
all right great you see in this moment
in this moment we just shared a
connection and that’s what these two
individuals did in that moment they
broke down stereotypes in that moment
they broke down biases they shared their
perspectives and a connection was made
those two individuals my dad him doing
the members of this project they all
remind me of a concept of philosophy
that I learned about while studying in
South Africa and it is called Ubuntu if
you could say Oh Boone – with me
Ubuntu one more time Ubuntu it simply
means I am because you are repeat after
me I am because you are one more time I
am because you are you see I am the only
reason I exist is if I know who you are
the only way I know who you are as if
I’ve heard your story
you see Oh Boone – speaks to this idea
that we are all connected
by the simple fact that we are human
that we share humanity our stories and
our narratives in which we all have to
share with the world they harness a
power that can heal both personally and
collectively today as I share this with
you now I am becoming a part of your
story and you a part of mine thank you
[Applause] you
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