Against the Odds: Academic and Professional Success After ADHD

By Dr. Lamont Holloman

About the Book
Against the Odds: Academic and Professional Success after ADHD follows Dr. Lamont Holloman's life as an African American male with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and details how he overcame significant educational and personal challenges as an adolescent, young adult, and adult. In addition, as the book follows Dr. Holloman through his academic and professional journey, it will help inform readers of the marginalization of African American men with ADHD. Existing research paints a negative picture of African American males with ADHD. Dr. Holloman's work is a self-reflection that explores his subjective personal experiences and connects his story to cultural and social meanings, giving the reader a more hopeful image of what can be achieved academically and professionally. What the author hopes readers will take away from his book is that regardless of how your life path starts, how society labels you, and what the school system tells you, you can succeed academically and forge your own future.

About the Author
Dr. Lamont Holloman is an active member of his church security team. Additionally, he serves as the senior pastor's armor bearer. His hobbies include spending time with family, fishing, and going to the firing range. He is a proud father of five, with twenty-one beautiful grandchildren and one great-grandson. Dr. Holloman is also a training program manager, assisting others in seeking education, training, or career advancement.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dorrance Publishing Company
• Release date: Apr 19, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887295831

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The contents of this work, including, but not limited to, the accuracy of events, people, and places depicted; opinions expressed; permission to use previously published materials included; and any advice given or actions advocated are solely the responsibility of the author, who assumes all liability for said work and indemnifies the publisher against any claims stemming from publication of the work.

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2023 by Dr. Lamont Holloman

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted, downloaded, distributed, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, including photocopying and recording, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented without permission in writing from the publisher.

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Abstract

This research is intended to inform readers of the marginalization of an African American male with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) during his academic and professional journey. The researcher used a critical race theory autoethnographic narrative to document his experiences as an African American male identified with ADHD. 

Self-reflection explores subjective personal experiences and connects my story to cultural and social meanings. This study begins during a significant change in my young life and explores my life and educational challenges through adolescence, young adulthood, and adulthood. This research provides an understanding and recognition of African American males with ADHD seeking improvement through education. It describes the painful self-reflection process and addresses how academic progress and professional achievement contribute to my success. 

Chapter 1

Introduction

Being one of thirteen children in an African American family in the inner city of Baltimore, Maryland, I grew up with all the ingredients to fail personally, academically, and professionally. My parents divorced when I was young, and one of my younger brothers and I lived with my mother. Studies have shown that children who experience their parents going through a divorce are more likely to have problems with social skills, behavior issues, and academic achievement (Landucci, 2008). In addition, my mother was a victim of domestic violence and abuse (DVA) during her marriage. Studies regularly look at the DVA stereotype as a gendered paradigm and describe DVA as physical abuse committed by men toward women (Dutton & White, 2013; Hine, Bates, & Wallace, 2020). For this research, we will use the definition of Schechter and Ganley (1995), which states that domestic violence is a pattern of assaultive and coercive behaviors including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks (p. 15). Professionals recognize situations where violence and abuse occur between adult intimate partners, children are significantly affected, and children are direct victims of DVA (Callaghan, Alexander, Sixsmith & Fellin, 2015). To this day, I can remember times when my father would abuse my mother, and my older siblings would try to stop him, and they would get abused themselves.

One incident occurred on a Friday; my father came home late from work. When he came into the house reeking of alcohol, he went into the kitchen where my mother was, and the next thing I heard was my mother yelling, Get off of me! You are hurting me! One of my brothers came running from upstairs, and one came running from the basement. One of my brothers yelled, Get off of her! My father turned around and said, You little bastard, who in the fuck do you think you are talking to? Then he started attacking my brothers. While researching this study, I discussed that incident with my sister. I asked if she remembered the incident. She stated that she remembered the incident and was the one who called the police. I remembered the police coming to the house, and I wanted the police to beat my father the way he had beaten my mother and brothers.

Nevertheless, they did nothing, and my father even closed the door in the officer’s face. After the police departed, the abuse stopped that weekend. Ironically, today a black man can be beaten or killed by the police for just being dressed a certain way or walking down the street. However, nothing was done to stop my mother from being abused. The level and effect of domestic violence on children are documented. Research has suggested that approximately 29.5% of children under the age of 18 have been exposed to DVA during their lifetime, and about 5.7% of children and young people will experience DVA in a year (Radford, Corral, Bradley & Fisher, 2013; Callaghan, Alexander, Sixsmith & Fellin, 2015). Research findings have also suggested that DVA has a psychosocial impact that can be severe. Children who grow up in a DVA household have a higher risk of mental health difficulties throughout their lives, have an increased risk of physical health difficulties, an increased risk of dropping out of educational programs, and display other academic challenges (Mezey, Bacchus, Bewley & White, 2005; Meltzer, Doos, Vostanis, Ford & Goodman, 2009; Peltonen, Ellonen, Larsen & Helweg-Larsen, 2010). Children from DVA families are at risk of involvement in criminal behavior and having interpersonal difficulties in their future intimate relationships and friendships (Ehrensaft et al., 2003; Gilbert et al., 2009; R. Black, Sussman & Unger, 2010; T. Gilbert, Farrand & Lankshear, 2012; Siegel, 2013 & Hine, Bates & Wallace, 2020). We moved in with one of my mother’s longtime female friends during the divorce.

My mother did not wake me up for school when she left my father. I was awoken by my mother opening and closing my dresser drawers. She was packing clothes in a light blue suitcase for my brother and me. When she realized I was awake, she told me to wash up and put my clothes on. I asked her if I was going to school. She said, No, we are going somewhere else. I did as she instructed and went and washed up and got dressed. After I got dressed, I heard the doorbell ring. From the top of the stairs, I watched my mother open the door, and the man on the porch said, Did someone call for a cab? My mother said, "Yes, I called for