March 7, 2014 (Jackson) - Belhaven University hosted an uplifting night with author, speaker and artist Joni Eareckson Tada. This free event on Saturday, March 1 was in the Belhaven University Center for the Arts on Riverside Drive. It has been 38 years since Tada has been in Mississippi and this event was an inspiring evening for all who attended.
Tada, the Founder and CEO of Joni and Friends International Disability Center, is an international advocate for people with disabilities. A diving accident in 1967 left her, then 17, a quadriplegic in a wheelchair, without the use of her hands. After two years of rehabilitation, she emerged with new skills and a fresh determination to help others in similar situations. She spent many long months learning how to paint with a brush between her teeth. Tada's high-detail fine art paintings and prints are sought-after and collected. Her best-selling autobiography Joni and the feature film of the same name have been translated into many languages, introducing her to people around the world.
The Belhaven University Dance Department started the night with a special performance based on Tada's artwork. Nicole Marquez, a talented dancer who is an incomplete quadriplegic, performed to Tada's song “Alone Yet Not Alone” from the movie of the same title. Congressman Gregg Harper introduced Tada who then spoke about her life and ministry. She then concluded the night with a time of questions and answers.
Here is a link to the Facebook photo album for An Evening with Joni Eareckson Tada.
Here is the entire video of An Evening with Joni Eareckson Tada.
Here is the performance from Nicole Marquez and Vincent Hardy from the Belhaven Dance Department to Alone, Yet Not Alone.
Here is Joni Eareckson Tada talking about Belhaven University.