We were lucky to catch up with Calvin Peterson recently and have shared our conversation below.

Calvin , appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I put myself in other people shoes and I began to seek out other people who had the same experiences that I had.

Calvin , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I started the first non profit organization in 1970 after I was confronted with racism and classism. It was then that I realized that I was not the only one.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

I was born with cerebral palsy in 1948. Abandoned by my biological father, I lived in a poverty stricken situation. In spite of those obstacles I was spiritually able to bypass and rise above my circumstances for an example, Even before High School I was the first child to attend public school for African American children with a disability. I was the first person born with a severe disability to attend and graduate from inaccessible high school. After graduating from high school I was introduced to the harsh reality of employment. No one hired a person with a disability. At that point I took it upon myself to create a non-profit organization to address the issue of employment for high school graduates with disabilities. The organization was issued a proclamation from the governor of the state of Georgia as being a vital organization. I did not want to stop there so I encourage the state of Georgia to send me to Long Island University in Brooklyn New York. After graduating from LIU I came back to Georgia to complete the goal that I started. That was to ensure that poor people with disabilities have access to equitable life. Anyone that is interested in hearing more they can order my autobiography Nothing is Impossible from my site disabledinactionatl.org.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

The very first thing that I would do is to conduct a survey to find out the interest of each person that is involved. Then I would give them an opportunity to express and exhibit their gifts and expertise.

Contact Info:

• Website: Disabledinactionatl.org

Image Credits
My very first experience climbing a mountain. In memory of a very close friend whose daughter past away that exact day. Sister Kimberly Purefoy paid tribute to her daughter Elyse Purefoy who passed suddenly.