SPEAK FOR YOURSELF

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, NBA player and NCAA champion, has been on a mission. Not only has he founded Change and Impact, a non-profit to amplify awareness for the stuttering community, but he’s also been present on Capitol Hill trying to get legislation passed so that young people can have access to speech-language therapy not currently covered by health insurance. 

In the series Speak for Yourself, we bring awareness to this initiative by spending a day with a person who stutters, asking about their personal stories and misconceptions people still might have. And who better to give a voice to their experience?


“Stuttering may be with me forever, but that’s not going to hinder me from achieving my goals.”

First, we meet Miles Johnson, a senior at Morehouse College. Miles created his own podcast in 2020, Real Talk with MJ, where he blends sports news along with discussions about current social issues. With hopes of landing a career where he can talk about sports on TV, Miles won't let anything come between him and his dreams.

“…People who learn to thrive with stuttering flip it on its head”

Next, we meet Matt Krause, Speech and Language Pathologist and Supervisor at The University of Missouri. He also teaches classes on stuttering. Through his years of experience, Matt calls stuttering a “desirable disadvantage” and highlights the attributes of people that stutter, like their patience and compassion.

“Your ability to speak has nothing to do with your ability to critically analyze, to think, and come up with beautiful ideas.”

And last up, we meet Billy Wade, a Junior at Princeton University. Studying International Affairs and playing basketball for Princeton, Billy knows what it’s like to grow up and not have perfect articulation. He points out that today, with a President who stutters in office, is proof that it's not something that should hold anyone back.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and his team have been working non-stop to make a difference in the lives of the stuttering community.

Visit changeandimpactinc.org to learn more.