Atlanta Falcon's co-owner gifts college four years of his salary
College is an invaluable experience for most college kids, while many can argue whether it's financially worth the experience, there's no doubt it's not something that can be easily replicated. For many teens college is the first time they get to flex their new found adulthood without their parents' supervision in a fairly controlled environment. But for some adolescents, college serves as much more than a place to spread their wings.
Some teens don't have the guidance at home from parents or caregivers so all of the skills others may take for granted are learned while in the college setting. Venture capitalist and Atlanta Falcons' limited partner Rashaun Williams was one of those students that needed a little more guidance when he headed to Morehouse College and attributes the college to his success.
Recently Williams attended the "A Candle in the Dark" Gala where he announced a generous donation to his alma mater. The former graduate would be donating his entire salary from the Falcons to Morehouse College for the next four years. During his acceptance speech for the Bennie Trailblazer Award, he shares what the college means to him and how his experience at Morehouse impacted his whole life.
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"Morehouse was my first investor. You're looking at the return you get when you invest in Morehouse, right now," Williams says. When my father wasn't there for me as a kid, Morehouse picked up the slack. I learned how to tie a tie at Morehouse, eat at a dinner table, out in, pause between my first and last name. My city failed me, but where Chicago failed me, Morehouse picked me up. Morehouse taught me I was a king. Sometimes this country fails me but there is Morehouse."
The award recipient made it clear in his speech that he would not be where he is today without what he learned at the Historically Black College and University. His experience isn't unique, many notable men graduated from the college, Martin Luther King Sr, Jr, and III are all Morehouse alumni. The halls of the HBCU have also been graced by Herman Caine, Spike Lee, Samuel L. Jackson and more, all took valuable lessons away from their time at the college so it's no surprise Williams also attributes his success to Morehouse.
"For four years, Morehouse poured into me, and in return, I would like to donate my entire salary for the next four years back to Morehouse," the alumnus reveals.
Williams wasn't the only donor that evening, in the caption of his speech on social media he writes, " The Candle in the Dark Gala broke all records and raised $6.8m this year for scholarships for students. For the school that took me in when I needed a home, self esteem, education, brotherhood, mentors, hope and community I hope to one day be able to give her a return on her investment!"
People were moved by his generous pledge writing, "Mega congrats and gratitude to you and all of those recognized!"
Another Morehouse alum shares, "Inspiring is an understatement. Fantastic…keep leading. Certainly one of our finest alumni"
Someone else says, "Amazing. Blessing our youth is a very wonderful gift to the world. Thank you."
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Another alumnus gushes, "One thing I truly respect about your journey is that I can see your intentions are pure. When I see you on national platforms, I always smile and say “ that’s one of us”. Yes, you make money, but the real gem is how you give back teaching, uplifting, and pulling your people forward. Donating your salary is more than just generosity; it’s a statement. Time and again, you’ve shown that you stand with your people and I see that being displayed throughout all your wins. Salute."
The gesture will surely help students secure scholarships at Morehouse to add to the legacy of exceptional graduates contributing to society.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
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Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."