The Unbroken Circle of Life Members

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

During NBASLH’s 45th Anniversary Convention, all of 430-odd registrants gathered to “connect, re-energize, and transform” – together, under one roof!

There was a lot of fervor as they all met: the young student fledglings met up with everyone, including the seasoned retirees: the speech-language pathologists met up with the audiologists; the southerners-northerners met up with the easternerswesterners; the medical-based experts met up with their education field colleagues: Just like the first Convention, when the pre-registration was only $10.00 (although inflation has forced cost increases), the reason for communing together continues to be the same: to “Step to the Music that We Hear”, enjoying the experience of being together and learning how to continue being the great clinicians and educators for which NBASLH is known: The latter was highly accomplished by each attendee who could choose to obtain CEU’s from the, reported, “70 oral sessions and 50 poster presentations” that were offered during the Convention.

This year, twelve extraordinary members were among the participants: namely, Karen Bevery-Ducker, Arnell Brady, Sheila Bridges-Bond, Patricia Cole, Elise Davis-McFarland, Soloris Greene, Ann Bernadette Mayfield-Clarke, Joe Melcher, Cathy Runnels, Diatra Stearn, Linda Redmond Taylor and Gwendolyn Wilson. Who are they? These are they who have made NBASLH their choice with which to connect for a LIFETIME: They are the life members who count it all joy and a privilege to honor and cherish their memberships in NBASLH. (Note: Cathy Runnels has faithfully attended 45 out of 45 conventions: Congratulations, Cathy!)

RESOUND))) salutes all of the life members who attended. Please, all others who are qualified to be life members, or who wish to learn how to become life members, feel free to contact the Life Member Coordinator, Linda Redmond Taylor at lindaredtaylor@ aol.com, or the National Office at NBASLH@NBASLH.org. NBASLH needs you to join this unbroken circle of members!

The Vision Has been Realized: Words of Encouragement from Dr. Orlando Taylor, a 1968 Visionary

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

Iam honored to present this message to our members, transcribed from a phone text from Dr. Orlando Taylor, ‘of the five Visionaries who conceptualized an organization as NBASLH that would provide a new arena for the development and sustaining of Blacks in the field in perpetuity’. This message was read by Dr. Kia Johnson, out-going Chair, during the closing session of the 45th NBASLH Convention. Dr. Taylor wrote:

Congratulations, NBASLH, for your continued growth and organizational successes on the road to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion at all levels within the professions of communication sciences and disorders. NBASLH has advanced light years beyond its beginnings in the 1970’s. I know. I was there at the very first organizational meeting at Howard University, and also at the first national meeting convened by the organization.

I can clearly remember when we thought that we had achieved remarkable success when we could count 50 people on our membership roll, and certainly that number for a national meeting. As you look forward to the days ahead, it is imperative for you to be mindful of the fact that, despite the great progress of advancing people of color in the professions, underrepresentation continues, and under-service continues for many communities of color throughout the nation that need your services.

I urge you to recommit to changing those realities, and continue to do the scholarly work required to provide the theoretical underpinnings for the provision of culturally valid services to our diverse clients and communities. Best wishes for continued success in our annual meeting.

NOTE: Dr. Taylor is still on the battlefield, indicated by his continued scholastic excellence in editing, along with Drs. Nicole Retland and Katherine McGraw, the book, Higher Education in a Changing World, published by Fielding University Press (2023 ). The book “aims to provide knowledge and insight for those seeking to understand and adapt to the rapid pace of change in the twenty-first-century higher education space.” The book can be ordered through Amazon.com.