Time after time, remarkable stories of bravery, determination, and perseverance of black people emerge. The life account of Dr. Isaiah L. White, Sr. is one that will get you emotional, inspired and elated at the same time.
Growing up with multiple learning disabilities such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, audio processing disorder, visual impairment, comprehension weakness, young White spent most of his schooling in special education. As a student, he witnessed and experienced first-hand bullying.
How would you feel when your teacher blatantly told you in the face that you’d amount to nothing in life? I’m pretty sure that’s a feeling that can be easily described, but young White had to deal with teachers who told him he would not make it in life.
Notwithstanding his traumatizing childhood, Dr White, Sr. recently graduated with a Doctorate degree from Wilmington University in New Castle, Delaware.
Yes! he made it through all the many limitations and demeaning comments that will have left him dejected. He took life on, despite its many seemingly bitter experiences.
Dr White has written a book that tells his story. Entitled “In A Class Called Special”, the book, reveals how his frustration from struggling in school was manifested in his behaviour. He developed a disorderly behaviour that led to him being repeated in-school and out of school suspensions.
According to the book, when he wasn’t suspended, he was serving detention or lunch detention. He also talked about how he was expelled several times from different schools.
He did not give up; he was bent on getting an education. Dr. White graduated from high school on a 7th grade level in some subjects, and a 5th grade level on others. He has been on academic probation and suspension. He took the same remedial math 12 times and he was also in all remedial classes his first few years of college.
In spite of the hindrances, BlackNews reported he was determined and in the end his grade point improved and he went on to obtain his degrees.
“In community college, he had a 2.3 GPA. He earned his Bachelor’s degree with a 2.9 GPA, his Master’s degree with a 3.0 GPA, and in May 2019, he graduated with his doctorate degree in education with a 3.67 GPA”.
He believed that quitting is not an option and that has informed Dr. White’s message as he travels the world sharing his story about being bullied, how he attempted suicide, how he lived in poverty and how he overcame.
His desire is to help others understand that “the only person that has the last say is yourself.”
He works at Salem Community College in New Jersey, and has about two decade coaching experience in various sports that impacted over 50,000 at-risk youth in various communities.
He works as both a college coordinator and professor and created programs for youth in the community. Dr. White has authored many children’s books. One of his book series comprises titles such as The Dental Family, The Hygiene Family, The Breakfast Alert, The Morning Marchers, and The Battle of the Germs.
