NCLM Volume 70, Issue 4, 2020

NCLM.ORG 21 To hear Mark-Anthony Middleton speak— whether it be as a councilman for the City of Durham, on his radio show, or during his ministry at Abundant Hope Christian Church—is to settle into an authoritative space, one between dissent and discussion, protest and policy. It’s an area of balance. As an elected leader in one of the most intriguing towns in the entire South- east, a top-down commanding approach is right there for him to take. Still, the bowtie-wearing councilman defers to the community, who he’s been working for his entire career. Speaking of the largely- aligned Durham City Council, he remem- bers guarding them against creating an “echo chamber where we congratulate ourselves for being so woke and in touch.” In looking at Durham, he sees its greatness and its missteps, side by side. He calls it good governance. He admits it’s difficult. You would not know this listening to him at the pulpit—ministerial, govern- mental, or otherwise—because with Mid- dleton speaking, problems seem identified. You would not know he was reluctant to take on that role. You would certainly not know that a speech impediment nearly upended his entire trajectory. In the resolution of those issues is the makeup of the councilman and the guide- lines of his outlook. “Who is not being heard?” he asks, knowing that his route to elected office was anything but inevitable. He is working towards similar resolution for Durham: one brought about by out- reach and speaking up, for those without a voice and in pursuit of big things. ˘˘˘ The point that nearly derailed Middleton is also the point that ingrained in him a conviction in political advocacy. The advo- cates were his mother Margaret and father Benjamin, raising six children in Brooklyn, New York, in the Red Hook neighbor- hood—“a rough neighborhood, but we were insulated by some pretty amazing parents,” Middleton said. Margaret was a New York City public school teacher and Benjamin was a lifelong government worker, finishing his career as a chief mechanic for the U.S. Postal Service. “I had a mom that was very active,” Middleton said. “A mom that would drag me to PTA meetings.” Most impressive, though, Mid- dleton says, is how his mom’s activism got him through school. Middleton suffered from a speech imped- iment. In the strict, sprawling feeder structure of the New York City public school system, this was misdiagnosed as a behavioral issue and, subsequently, a learning disability. The truth was that Middleton had acted out intentionally and selectively, to avoid instances where he would be forced to speak or read aloud. Still, he was tracked out of the traditional curriculum. To Middleton, this was a cast- ing off; a dismissive judgment to get him through school and get him out. Margaret began a full-on campaign to change this decision, and was successful. “Her and my dad said, ‘This kid has a lot to say. He's got a great mind. He just needs help,’” Middleton remembers. “I look at where I am now, and know that my tra- jectory was definitely impacted by having parents that were involved and spoke up on behalf of people that couldn't speak up for themselves. That was a major marker for me on the importance of being in the pub- lic square and the politics of organizing.” Efforts then continued at home. Margaret forced Mark-Anthony to take speaking parts at church. She leveraged teacher discounts on Broadway shows, brought her son, and made him focus on how the actors enunciated and how they used lan- guage. She’d take him to the Museum of Modern Art to see the King Tutankhamen exhibit and the gold of El Dorado. Then, she’d buy the books on the subject, and have him read aloud. It was immersion. Read, then speak; learn, then speak; watch experts wield language with mastery, controlling a room and expressing ideas in a way you’d never seen before—and then speak. That Middleton would wield those same skills as an adult is a development he chalks up to “God’s sense of humor.” After his mother’s victory allowed her son additional resources, Middleton excelled to the point of not just continues on page 22 A Voice Saved, a Voice Used I look at where I am now, and know that my trajectory was definitely impacted by having parents that were involved and spoke up on behalf of people that couldn’t speak up for themselves.