James Earl Jones was the voice of my childhood. Any 90s kid could say the same: from the sinister authority of Darth Vader to the caring wisdom of Mufasa, or the neighborly generosity of Mr. Mertle to the prophetic advisor for a Field of Dreams, Jones was - still is - a fixture of command. He could capture a movie in a single scene, or even a solitary line.
For the community of Brethren in Manistee County, however, Jones was a silent and even reserved youth. Cynthia Asiala, a former teacher at Jones's school and the current chair of the Arts and Culture Alliance of Manistee County, sought to recognize Jones as much for his ability to overcome the difficulty of a stutter as for his contributions to the stage and screen. His story, as Asiala recounted for us, is reflective of the value of mentorship, "In high school, he was in the class of Donald Crouch, the English teacher, and he was challenged to read a poem he had written. He has credited, in many articles and interviews, that Donald Crouch helped him find his voice."
For a man known for his voice, silence and a stutter may come as a surprise. But Jones's career is marked by brief, powerful roles. He conquered his stutter through practice and recitation, and with the help and dedication of mentors, Jones rose to global heights. But he always seemed to remember and honor his mentors. In the elementary school teacher who, as Asiala noted, taught him "through three different grades [...] he honored her when he returned to our area" and the repeated occasions when Jones credits Mr. Crouch, mentorship was the theme that brought the James Earl Jones and Donald Crouch memorial to life.
Initially, struggles to fundraise for the sculpture complicated the process. Those struggles were eventually solved by the decision to dedicate a plaque to the many mentors who served the project's donors. Asiala was particularly proud of that element of the statue's dedication, "One of the greatest parts of the project was finding out what kids thought of it, that they would say things like, 'it will show how important a relationship with a teacher is.'"
James Earl Jones's statue now stands in front of the Kaleva Norman Dickson Schools building. Jones's arms are open and his mouth is slightly parted, as if he is about to begin reciting a poem or acting out a scene. The statue of Crouch sits nearby, and the silent monument, somehow, speaks.
Click the link below for the full interview with Cynthia Asiala.
GUEST ON THIS EPISODE:
- Cynthia Asiala, Chair of the Arts and Culture Alliance of Manistee County
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