"Unspeakable" and Untouchable

This story is utterly amazing. I was amazed to read about the little known history of Junius Wilson, situated within the context of the Jim Crow south. I have always been aware of how grim things tended to be during the years of segregation and the lawful inferiority of blacks in America, but I never realized the implications for someone black and Deaf, nor did I realize to what extent it could affect such a person.

Junius Wilson's story was particularly interesting because the primary issue that was underlying most of the confusion regarding the alleged rape and Wilson's intelligence, was the lack of clear communication. And though the mental institution became tolerable by Wilson, and seemingly favorable, that does not get rid of nor excuse the fact that he was placed there despite his innocence. Nonetheless, I find it remarkable that the nature of a mental institution, that is, a facility where people are required to care for you and protect your well-being, became the pretext of what became somewhat of a safe haven for Wilson--ironic, to say the least! And not just for him, but also for James McNeil, and other residents in the facility. On one hand, it makes me thankful for those that cared for him, but on the other hand, why not exonerate his name and then use his innocence and the ways in which he helped out around the facility to dismantle some of the inequalities of Blacks, of Deaf people, exposing the inherently inequality of segregation?

The other thing that I thought was very interesting was how the book told his story in a way that is somewhat pretentious. For example, talking about what he might have thought, or how he might have felt, presumably because the authors were unable to communicate with Wilson in a way that they could access such information, and because other people they spoke to that had contact with Wilson were also unable to have such comprehensive conversations with Wilson. While it is admirable and appreciated that the authors were able to imagine, and decided to document, how Wilson probably felt, it is also disheartening that Wilson was limited in the ways he could express himself to others. One of my most dearest abilities is my ability to express myself--to have that stripped from me, or else never even granted to me, would be like severing my very soul. This is not to suggest that Wilson was without any way to express himself, as it is clear from this story that he often found ways to convey many various messages. But I wish he was able to explain how his family made him feel. I wish he was able to tell the people at the mental institution exactly how much he loved them or exactly how much he resented them. I wish he was able to tell the young kids he often passed by or played with why he loved to collect bicycles so much, and how he managed to save so much money without spending it all on candy! I wish he was able to tell the authors of his biography exactly how he felt about his life and what he was thinking and feeling when he was granted his "freedom"...

Another thing that intrigued me about this story was that it took place near where my parents grew up! My father still goes online to look at current issues of "The Daily Record" and my mom remembers the name, "Julius Wilson," that he was Deaf and misplaced in a mental institution. My aunt worked at the Dorothea Cox hospital that was briefly mentioned in the story (the only other mental institution in Raleigh, I think) and also remembers Wilson's predicament. My uncle's last name is McNeil, but I have not been able to contact him and see if there is any relation to James McNeil. If I do find out, I will let you know! So the personal connections made it that much more fascinating!

Admittedly, I have not yet finished the whole book, but I can tell you that this is a remarkable tale that is very telling about an outstanding man and the story of his tremendous experiences before civil rights took over the south. However, it also about much more than Junius Wilson, about more than being Black and Deaf in the Jim Crow South. It is a story about strength and triumph in the face of injustice, the epitome of making lemons into lemonade! I am so very inspired by this book. For one, I am now curious to know more about Black, Deaf history. However, I think I am moreso enlightened as to how one can find themselves wrongly placed in a particular predicament, seemingly in the wrong place, at the worst time, but then find out that everything happens for a reason; for that very unsettling, unfortunate, seemingly deplorable predicament might just be the very thing that saves our lives... My heart goes out to Junius Wilson, his family, and anyone else that has had similar experiences.

To the authors and to BGG, thank you!