Excellent New Film about Differences in Learning
By Barbara Kolucki (bakoluck@aol.com)
Ennis Cosby, the only son of Camille and Bill Cosby, was killed in a senseless robbery on January 16, 1997, when he pulled off a California freeway to change a tire. Bill Cosby, a preeminent African American actor and television producer, is widely credited for bringing the experience of black families into the center of "whitebread" TVland. This film, called Ennis' Gift, was produced in tribute to their son, a young man with a Masters Degree in Education, who loved, more than anything, to teach and help children who, like him, had a learning difference.
Learning difference, in this film, is synonymous with learning disability, ADHD and a host of other perceived differences that can result in children being placed in special education. The difference most often has something to do with an identified problem in reading, writing, speaking or problem solving - in the conventional sense. Ennis apparently preferred the term "learning difference". And as this film points out - what was first labelled a disability for many children and adults - later turned out to be one of their greatest blessings.
The film begins with acknowledgements by several famous American actors, athletes or other influential individuals that they have a learning difference and that they too, suffered greatly when they were in school. Their difficulties in learning most definitely affected their self-confidence and self-esteem - at least for a time. These individuals include Danny Glover, Lindsey Wagner, James Earl Jones, Bruce Jenner and Charles Schwab. In addition, we hear from a few children - many of whom, as we find out later in the film, were taught and/or encouraged by Ennis.
The remainder of the film is a series of vignettes of people who turned their learning differences into assets. Their stories are wonderful.
First, we hear from Don Winkler, a CEO of a large company, who has had to design various strategies to "keep up with the rest of the world". He goes to bed by nine, awakens at 3 a.m. and goes through a series of exercises to help him get through the day. These could be reviewing on his computer a list of the words that he is most likely to encounter at work, practicing the times tables, etc. Or, to help with visual understanding - he might spend time in one of his huge flower hothouses "burning" the image of the flowers and their scent into his brain. He tries anything that might help him. He tells us that he always had to find different ways of doing things that others took for granted. But, he says, the upside is that "if you experiment enough, you can accomplish a lot". He is often asked to speak to groups of business people because of his reputation for developing creative strategies in his work. He was the topic of one of CNN International's "Business Unusual" television programs. He tells us that his creativity "is a gift I got from my learning difference".
Next, we hear from Troy Brown, who in 2000 was the youngest university dean in the state of Mississippi. His education was often in a special education class "in the basement" - something he says is just devastating to the self-esteem of someone who already feels bad about him/herself. He tells the story of the events that helped turn his life around. First, he saw an episode on "The Cosby Show" where one of the sons talks about his frustration at having dyslexia and how his actor parents encourage him and accept him as he is. This television episode was based on the life of Ennis, the son of actor Bill Cosby (who holds a Ph.D in education). Then, at his university commencement, Troy was asked to pick up the commencement speaker, Dr. Bill Cosby, at the airport. He shares with Dr. Cosby the impact that episode had on his life. When Dr. Cosby begins his commencement address, he calls Troy to the stage and again, changes his life, this time by praising him in front of his peers. At the end of this segment, Brown tells us that: "I have a debt to repay. I have a responsibility. And I am going to carry it out".
Ann Bancroft is a polar explorer and the only woman to cross both the North and South Poles. She always had difficulty reading and the only magazine that appealed to her was National Geographic - because it had numerous, memorable photos and little text! It took her six years to get through college and her accomplishment there helped her not give up when she was alone on her polar trips. She says that she remembered that in school all she had to do was, "put one foot in front of the other". She too, calls her learning difference a gift - "I had to acknowledge and utilise my weakness - until it became a strength". We see the incredible strength in the last scene as she is training while jogging up a hill with two large tires hooked to her waist and dragging behind her...
Next we visit Vonneke Miller, a science teacher like none I have ever seen. Her classroom is like entering a space station - or prehistoric time - with dinosaurs hanging from the ceiling! She says that she gears her classroom to those students, who like her, have learning differences. She says, "when they leave my class, they will look at their learning difference, and themselves, differently." She has rules like "no put downs" in her class, and we see small groups of students making bridges out of the simplest materials and each child having a different responsibility based on their ability and need. It is truly a student-centered, developmentally-appropriate, creative classroom! Vonneke tells us that "kids have to feel down to their toes that this is the best thing they have ever done in their lives". She is indeed a role model for that!
Finally, we visit Russell Cosby, an uncle of Ennis Cosby. He retired and thought he would spend his time with his passion, bowling. But his nephew had other plans for him! He encouraged him to go back to college - something he could never do because of his dyslexia. So now he is a college student. Ennis took him to be diagnosed and he enrolled at the university with all the support systems available to a student with this diagnosis. He says that going back to school was painful, but that now, because of Ennis, "those family and friends who said I would be something - you know, they are right".
I really loved this film. It was simple yet profound, inspiring yet practical. You felt the pain of those who met such failure and rejection but the focus of the film was on their strength and gifts. They all had families who supported them (except for one teen who, before getting the proper help, always was in a battle with her mom). They all experienced lack of confidence - yet in the end seemed more confident than those who grew up as the best students in any class.
I did ache for all of the millions of children and adults who have not been as lucky as those in this film. I rejoiced for those whose life Ennis had touched. His parents have created the Ennis William Cosby Foundation in his honor. They produced this film and it is available from: www.hellofriend.org or by writing to the Ennis William Cosby Foundation, Film Library, 22-D Hollywood Ave., Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J. 07423 USA. The toll-free number in the USA is: 1 800 343-5540.
One young woman in the film who experienced many years of learning difficulties, thought she would never learn at all. She tells us in the end:
"Now, learning is like a dream come true. It is like eating ice cream".
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