Dyslexia is a challenging learning disorder that makes reading difficult. According to the Mayo Clinic, dyslexia is caused by individual differences in the parts of the brain that process language and allow a person to read. While the disorder can most certainly be a challenge to face, there is no connection between dyslexia and intelligence. In fact, many dyslexic people have gone on to have thriving careers.
Here’s a look at some celebrities with dyslexia that addressed their learning disorder head on and shown the world it can’t stop them.
Whoopi Goldberg
The actress and host of “The View” wasn’t diagnosed with the learning disorder until she was an adult. According to the LD Resources Foundation, as a young person, Goldberg’s dyslexia was misunderstood. That led people to label her as “lazy” or “dumb.” When Goldberg was finally diagnosed, she says she felt a sense of relief. While the disorder made things more difficult for her growing up, she says she also believes it pushed her to think differently. Goldberg believes that that is the exact thing that led to her success. Goldberg was the first Black women to earn the distinction of becoming an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Award) winner.
Octavia Spencer
Octavia Spencer is a shining star in Hollywood. The Oscar-winning actress oozes confidence both on the red carpet and on-screen. However, it hasn’t always been that way. As a child, Spencer struggled with confidence due to her dyslexia. She says she was always afraid to read aloud in class and worried about being labeled. Similar to Goldberg, Spencer recalls thinking differently. Her dyslexia didn’t stop her from excelling in school as she was placed in gifted classes. Thankfully, she had a strong mother and compassionate teachers who supported her. Now, Spencer is making a name for herself as an author. She has written two children’s books.
Carol Moseley Braun
Carol Moseley Braun was the first Black woman elected to U.S. Senate. According to a the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity, Braun struggled with reading and math due to her brain transposing letters and numbers. Still, she was able to thrive in school by coming up with tricks to help her learn. She eventually graduated as valedictorian of her high school class. Braun went to law school, served on the U.S. Senate and was appointed Ambassador to New Zealand. She also founded an organic food company and is now a political science professor at Northwestern University.
Mel B
Similar to Goldberg, Spice Girl singer, Mel B didn’t get a dyslexia diagnosis until she was an adult. She felt a sense of relief after finding out she is dyslexic.
“All my life, I’ve just thought that maybe just my brain is wired different,” she told People Magazine. “I’ve kind of hid it, but I didn’t know what I was hiding. When I’d see words backward or I’d have to memorize a script over and over and over again, or it’d take me five months to read one chapter of a book because I couldn’t compute it.”
Finding out she is dyslexic allowed Mel B to revisit old feelings of not being smart. She says she feels much less shame now.
Octavia E. Butler
School was tough for science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler due to her dyslexia. The learning disorder made her an easy target for bullies. Interestingly, her feelings of being an outcast led her to turn to the public library. Butler began to write and despite challenges lobbed at her as a Black women, went on to have a successful career that included winning the Hugo and Nebula awards.