In July 2022, while delivering the commencement speech at the Fisk University graduation ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee I found that I couldn’t articulate what I was trying to say. My co-presenter noticed the difficulty and took over for me so I could sit down and rest. I remember one of the parents came up to me and asked me a question. I tried to answer but the words came out garbled. So, I decided I needed to get some air and when I got up, my feet wouldn’t work. Nothing would work. I just took a step then everything went haywire, and I felt myself fall. I felt two hands on my back, but I couldn’t turn around and say thank you. And that’s what I remember … [read the rest at Joe Niekro Foundation]