At just eight years old, Jim Enderle witnessed racial violence at a peaceful demonstration organized by associates of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. Enderle shares this recollection, along with other incidents when his worldview was challenged by the action of those around him and his own inaction. During this powerful talk, Enderle shares the experience it took for him to finally understand the South African Zulu word “ubuntu,” which translates to “I am because we are.” Jim Enderle is a native Chicagoan, retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman, and Iraq combat veteran. Jim has a Masters Degree in the Education of Exceptional Students and is a regularly scheduled speaker on veterans’ suicide and transition conversations. He’s recently scheduled publication for his memoir, Fight, Flight, or Freeze: A Love Story, detailing his path to therapeutic forgiveness and reconciliation after war’s trauma.
As a member of the Connecticut Storytellers Center, he works with veterans on the healing power of stories, poetry, art, and music. A long-time DJ at Connecticut College’s WCNI radio station, he uses his Saturday night slot for interviews on mental health issues between free-format music. Jim has recently launched a YouTube channel, The World Needs More Middle Children. Jim lives with his wife, Cindy, of 29 years in Quaker Hill, Connecticut. They have two sons, Alfonso and Lorenzo. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx