It was such a journey and a privilege working on this episode. As a fellow blind pianist, it is an honor to share and celebrate the achievements of this legend!
As a blind pianist do you have an alternative way of writing your music down, because sense I was never taught braille music and I got to a stage where I wanted to improvise and compose. I gave my instructor a print copy, but I don't think there's enough time in my sessions and he hasn't brought it up sense.
I have read about Thomas Wiggins but this is my first time video about this still internationally underrated legend! This is such a beautiful homage & I’m only at 1:54! Thank you so much for
It’s amazing! He & Stevie are about 100 years apart and would have been phenomenal together. Stevie was first known for the harmonica then the piano later although he can play most if not all instruments. I knew a kid back in elementary who was blind & played the saxophone. He was autistic but I don’t think it’s an automatic if a person is blind (it’s mentioned in the clip, I think they get overzealous with that sometimes. Like when they wanted to diagnose everyone with adhd).
This is absolutely stunning!! There's so much beauty and tragedy in this video. I vaguely remember hearing about him. I love what they said people with disabilities want the same as everyone...
This was such a beautifully told story about an African American prodigy! Made me so emotional 🥹 at the end. Thanks to all for this one! ❤️✨❤️✨❤ America, at the time, was blind to his humanity. Blind America-not blind Tom.
And yet some people fail to understand why many Black people were unable to build generational wealth. Even the most talented people always had everything else against them.
And they apologize but no gesture of that materializes. I pay for things to show gratitude, sincerity, even if no value can be placed. Bethune needs to do something more. That family history will have to pay. Jesus sees it all. Either way, vengeance is mine says the Lord. I will repay.
What about Sissiereta Jones? At one point in time, she was the highest paid performer in the world, I thought. Well, it’s not a competition. There are literally hundreds of African Americans (and women) whose art remains lost.
President Lincoln freed slaves in breakaway states at first! Maryland, Delaware,and West Virginia which broke away from Virginia because they didn't want to secede still had slaves! Loyalty to the Union was paramount in that Case.
👑 did anyone talk to this man I mean get an actual quote if I miss some thing, I apologize for asking this question, but it seems as though this young man was in a lot of pain look at his life being a slave u or we don’t know if he had been beaten to perform we will never know the trauma he heard because he couldn’t see doesn’t mean he didn’t witness anything it shows and how he plays to me. I hear the genius, but I also hear the pain and possibly the loneliness. If there was some type of healthcare, he might have survived and lived a little longer. His age is far too young to be deceased, 😭💕📖♥️ he kinda looks like my youngest son, and I think it’s wild that the young man might have been autistic slavery wasn’t pretty 💕🙏🕊️
This is the evil and tragedy of slavery! "Blind Tom" was a slave! That means he was not even considered a human being under constitutional law, but he was property, chattel! There was no healthcare or any other care for enslaved people. My ancestors were exploited, murdered, bred like animals, and used to build this country, and yet we still fight for it. The sons and daughters of the American Revolution controlled the narratives that our educational systems follow to this day - that slavery was just a blip in the story of America. Only worthy of a few paragraphs that make enslaved people look like it was an enjoyable experience. The history books have never and will never tell the truth about this dark but very real history. Thank God for PBS and museums! It's a nice thought that there should have been some kindness or help for Thomas, but the truth is that for him and millions like him, there wasn't!
Not Autistic. As a Psychologist and Forensic Evaluator not autistic. An impaired development from blindness slavery mistreatment exploitation deprivation and lack of love security friends and marriage caused his behaviors
Part of his genius could be attributed to his autism. Blind children can hear, learn language an speak so they don’t vocalize as say a deaf child would. Autism may have been his super power.
The Emancipation Proclamation DID NOT MANDATE THE FREEDOM OF ALL ENSLAVED PEOPLE. The Emancipation Proclamation never freed one slave and never had the power to, and those who could have benefitted from the Act were excluded from it. READ IT. The Act mandated freedom to all slaves held in certain Confederate States areas, except the border States that were friendly to the North. The exception also applied to Confederate State areas that the North controlled. If an African slave was in those excluded areas, that slave was not free. READ IT! The Emancipation Proclamation was a wartime strategy trick to fool the 3.98 million enslaved Africans who were mostly illiterate to cause confusion in the South.
Lotta really shitty things about this video: 1. Imagine Blind Tom was the son or daughter of Bob Yule in To Kill a Mockingbird, let’s talk about how much his life woulda been then? 2. Blind people have stuff called “blind mannerisms” or “blindisms.” The DSM V explicitly says sensory stuff needs to be considered BEFORE going to autism. Sighted people have a bias where they see blindisms and they make things worse by bringing in autism. Literally, doesn’t autism involve differences in sensory processing? Well, I’m a person who’s almost totally blind, so, Idk how sighted people think. But, to me, blindness involves differences in sensory processing and it creates similar behaviors as autism, but, for different reasons 3. The “trope” of the black/blind musician isn’t just for blacks. Feliz Navidad, aka Jose Feliciano is blind AND he’s super famous in Mexico. In Japan, they actually fetishize the blind a little bit. They teach people who are blind to do jobs involving touch and massage. I don’t love either of those tropes for sure. Asians don’t love their trope of being good at math. But, what trope does Bob Yule’s kid even have to fall back on?
None of the other nations compare, slavery with all it's torment and continuing impact and the world's twisted obsession with black people is unique to them. A peculiar people, that's what God says. He will avenge for them.
It was such a journey and a privilege working on this episode. As a fellow blind pianist, it is an honor to share and celebrate the achievements of this legend!
Such a legend!
As a blind pianist do you have an alternative way of writing your music down, because sense I was never taught braille music and I got to a stage where I wanted to improvise and compose. I gave my instructor a print copy, but I don't think there's enough time in my sessions and he hasn't brought it up sense.
I have read about Thomas Wiggins but this is my first time video about this still internationally underrated legend! This is such a beautiful homage & I’m only at 1:54! Thank you so much for
Thank you so much for sharing this history. I will definitely share this with my family.
I've never even heard of him. What a wonderful story this is, he was the Stevie Wonder of his day.
It’s amazing! He & Stevie are about 100 years apart and would have been phenomenal together. Stevie was first known for the harmonica then the piano later although he can play most if not all instruments. I knew a kid back in elementary who was blind & played the saxophone. He was autistic but I don’t think it’s an automatic if a person is blind (it’s mentioned in the clip, I think they get overzealous with that sometimes. Like when they wanted to diagnose everyone with adhd).
A moving story that needs to be told - thank you!
This is absolutely stunning!! There's so much beauty and tragedy in this video. I vaguely remember hearing about him. I love what they said people with disabilities want the same as everyone...
Ultimately ."You treat others the way you want to be treated." Time to step up America...We can be so much better. Bravo Tom WIggins !
Amazing story, definitely need to be a movie
This needs to be a "movie."
Apology not excepted! Beautiful documentary.
Thank you PBS! 🙏 🙏
I am a big fan of his & have visited his grace @ Cemetery of the Evergreens in Brooklyn.
This really got under my skin.
Mine too
Pain.
Heavy.
Gratitude for sharing
The fact that I’ve never heard of him. A true crime‼️
I didn't expect to cry all the way through this, but I did. May his music live forever.
Thanks for telling this story so beautifully!
What an amazing story that I was not aware of until now. Thank you so much for making this available to the public.
This was such a beautifully told story about an African American prodigy! Made me so emotional 🥹 at the end. Thanks to all for this one! ❤️✨❤️✨❤ America, at the time, was blind to his humanity. Blind America-not blind Tom.
Bless his beautiful soul. Eternal shame on those who exploited him.
His legacy belongs to the world not just the doble standards of “americans”, that’s for sure!
Thank you for sharing my💕💕💕💕
And yet some people fail to understand why many Black people were unable to build generational wealth. Even the most talented people always had everything else against them.
And they apologize but no gesture of that materializes. I pay for things to show gratitude, sincerity, even if no value can be placed. Bethune needs to do something more. That family history will have to pay. Jesus sees it all. Either way, vengeance is mine says the Lord. I will repay.
Preach
What about Sissiereta Jones? At one point in time, she was the highest paid performer in the world, I thought. Well, it’s not a competition. There are literally hundreds of African Americans (and women) whose art remains lost.
Thank you for bringing her to my attention. I don’t think she’s mentioned only because she wasn’t handicapped as far as I know.
President Lincoln freed slaves in breakaway states at first! Maryland, Delaware,and West Virginia which broke away from Virginia because they didn't want to secede still had slaves! Loyalty to the Union was paramount in that Case.
I recall reading about him when I was a teenager
👑 did anyone talk to this man I mean get an actual quote if I miss some thing, I apologize for asking this question, but it seems as though this young man was in a lot of pain look at his life being a slave u or we don’t know if he had been beaten to perform we will never know the trauma he heard because he couldn’t see doesn’t mean he didn’t witness anything it shows and how he plays to me. I hear the genius, but I also hear the pain and possibly the loneliness. If there was some type of healthcare, he might have survived and lived a little longer. His age is far too young to be deceased, 😭💕📖♥️ he kinda looks like my youngest son, and I think it’s wild that the young man might have been autistic slavery wasn’t pretty 💕🙏🕊️
This is the evil and tragedy of slavery! "Blind Tom" was a slave! That means he was not even considered a human being under constitutional law, but he was property, chattel! There was no healthcare or any other care for enslaved people. My ancestors were exploited, murdered, bred like animals, and used to build this country, and yet we still fight for it. The sons and daughters of the American Revolution controlled the narratives that our educational systems follow to this day - that slavery was just a blip in the story of America. Only worthy of a few paragraphs that make enslaved people look like it was an enjoyable experience. The history books have never and will never tell the truth about this dark but very real history. Thank God for PBS and museums! It's a nice thought that there should have been some kindness or help for Thomas, but the truth is that for him and millions like him, there wasn't!
💜
Now we know who the true inventor of Jazz. They’ve tried to give this to another pianist like Chopin, but this invention is definitely Wiggins.
Not Autistic. As a Psychologist and Forensic Evaluator not autistic. An impaired development from blindness slavery mistreatment exploitation deprivation and lack of love security friends and marriage caused his behaviors
Part of his genius could be attributed to his autism. Blind children can hear, learn language an speak so they don’t vocalize as say a deaf child would. Autism may have been his super power.
Pay up now 💵💵💵💵💵💵💵
Yes sir, don't be sorry, pay his descendants the money.
This is why reparations are so important. They stole so much from him and his family.
❤
Hotep. It sounds like he was another Thelonious Monk!!! Now this is what you call black exportation!!!🔥🎯💯🎹⚔️🪘✔️
Hendrix took over the starspangled banner year later.
He's more than Mozart
Thanks for telling his story and the research. 👍❤️. But don't compare Britney Spears's struggle
Sir Stevie Wonder or Ray Charles 🙄
The Emancipation Proclamation DID NOT MANDATE THE FREEDOM OF ALL ENSLAVED PEOPLE.
The Emancipation Proclamation never freed one slave and never had the power to, and those who could have benefitted from the Act were excluded from it. READ IT.
The Act mandated freedom to all slaves held in certain Confederate States areas, except the border States that were friendly to the North. The exception also applied to Confederate State areas that the North controlled. If an African slave was in those excluded areas, that slave was not free. READ IT!
The Emancipation Proclamation was a wartime strategy trick to fool the 3.98 million enslaved Africans who were mostly illiterate to cause confusion in the South.
Blind Tom surpassed all white composers and musicans easy ,to ve blind and beat the likes of mozart and others 👊🏿
Netflix will make this into a movie once they can figure out how to make a white guy and his black girlfriend the heroes.
Lotta really shitty things about this video:
1. Imagine Blind Tom was the son or daughter of Bob Yule in To Kill a Mockingbird, let’s talk about how much his life woulda been then?
2. Blind people have stuff called “blind mannerisms” or “blindisms.” The DSM V explicitly says sensory stuff needs to be considered BEFORE going to autism. Sighted people have a bias where they see blindisms and they make things worse by bringing in autism.
Literally, doesn’t autism involve differences in sensory processing? Well, I’m a person who’s almost totally blind, so, Idk how sighted people think. But, to me, blindness involves differences in sensory processing and it creates similar behaviors as autism, but, for different reasons
3. The “trope” of the black/blind musician isn’t just for blacks. Feliz Navidad, aka Jose Feliciano is blind AND he’s super famous in Mexico.
In Japan, they actually fetishize the blind a little bit. They teach people who are blind to do jobs involving touch and massage.
I don’t love either of those tropes for sure. Asians don’t love their trope of being good at math.
But, what trope does Bob Yule’s kid even have to fall back on?
None of the other nations compare, slavery with all it's torment and continuing impact and the world's twisted obsession with black people is unique to them. A peculiar people, that's what God says. He will avenge for them.
Most famous “black musician” already started of racist smh