A Personal Recap of Sunn m’Cheaux’s Opening Session

by Linda Redmond Taylor, M.A., CCC-SLP-L, lindaredtaylor@aol.com

Part Ii

If Sunn m’Cheaux’s first session, Part I, would be viewed as an item on a menu of sessions, it would have been a favorite entree: His second lecture session, a segment of the “Opening Session Pep Rally”, did as any delectable dessert menu item would have done; it filled us to the brim. m’Cheaux is a fine specimen of a Black man to look at, and his inviting style and rallying words, mixed with that aspect of his being who he is, left us wanting to over-indulge in his wisdom and experience: He was GOOD!!

We were hungry for his words and his wisdom, and he fed us!! All in all, the NBASLH members left this session with even more of a better understanding of Black language and what steps are needed to use this approach discussed earlier in the educational setting.

He culminated his presentation with this scenario: ‘A person who steps out thinking he/she is dressed nicely encounters a person who says to him: “You know what? One of these days, you really goan dress nice – you got the potential to wear somethin really nice.“ Now, m’Cheaux did not dwell on the one who had been slam-dunked; everybody empathized with that person. He dealt with the speaker: Almost in a chastising tone, he said, ‘Stop looking past who a person is and where a person is now! Speak life into him now! Stop telling him what he has the potential to be. Exhort the person to believe ‘he IS great’– right now! m’Cheaux advised the Conventiongoers to “just BE” –encouraging all to believe they ARE great, and to “manifest

their greatness NOW.

This writer believes that m’Cheaux probably says that in his sleep. His purpose seems to be to uplift and empower all folks, but, particularly, NBASLH members that night, to “just BE”. His message to all was to “ just BE”. Yes, that night, he so cared about us enough to end his rallying call with the embodiment of this, reportedly, Gullah proverb: “Muss tek kyeh de root fa heal de tree”, translated: “Must take care of the root to nourish the tree”. He ended the session by asking: “What happens if you embody that thing that you think is going to validate you, and you no longer have to reach outwardly, but inwardly? Just be who you are! Manifest it, and what’s for you will be drawn to you: And after m’Cheaux’s inquisitorial-like call of “Amen”? The people of NBASLH responded this back to him: “Amen!”