#MomCrushMonday Series: Meet Justine Green, Ed.D., Educator, Award-winning Author, and Disability Advocate
1.) You were born with Atresia and Microtia. Can you tell us how you used your disability as a motivation?
I went through three reconstructive ear surgeries before the age of 9 just to improve the aesthetic of my ear. I have always been hard of hearing and there was no technology possible as hearing aids for me back in the early 90s. I learned that I need a note taker so I could focus on reading the teacher’s lips and that I needed a specific seat in the classroom to hear the best. I used my disability as just a matter-of-fact about me and that my differences weren’t bad… I was just special. When I started my doctoral program I studied Disability Identity and levels of accepting one’s own disability. In people with disabilities, we rarely reach the acceptance stage before our mid-20s. I was very upset reading this. We need to teach children with disabilities that they are perfect they way they are and that using accommodations should not feel embarrassing or like a burden.
2.) How did this inspire your Completely Me book series?
I wanted a way to teach children about the different disabilities in a relatable and understandable way. My son is 3 years old and he told me that I don’t need an ear because “I’m perfect just the way I am” and that’s a lesson that seems so simple, but many parents or teachers don’t feel comfortable introducing these ideas. I’m hoping to create tools for families and schools to use to teach children about differences and that everyone is unique.
3.) You have a new book coming out called Completely Emme. Can you tell us a little about it?
Completely Emme is the second book of my award-winning “Completely Me” series. Each book is going to be a real friend with a new disability. This book introduces Emme, a friend of Justine’s with Cerebral Palsy. When some of the kids in the park point out her differences, she learns to stand up for herself and teach everyone an important lesson about acceptance. The story uses some of Emme’s own words to describe CP to others.
4.) As a disability advocate, how do you amplify the voices of those with physical challenges?
This series is a big first step! If you notice inside my stories, there is a very diverse population of characters. That’s intentional. There needs to be more representation to increase acceptance and awareness. Children of all shapes, colors, sizes, limbs, abilities, and more should be able to find themselves in books and on TV.
5.) You are the mother of two. How do you juggle your professional life and personal life?
It is definitely a juggle! I try to use my time as wisely as possible and be present with my children every day. I wake up and get ready before the children wake up, work from 8:15am-5pm, make dinner, play with the kids, put them to sleep, shower, and then start working on the book series. What’s hardest to juggle is “me” time. I’m still working on that!
6.) What is your favorite book? Why?
I really loved reading “Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald.” Such a talented woman was deemed insane for aspiring to be a published author and businesswoman. It was an interesting and tragic story about life as a Fitzgerald in the 1920s.
Justine Green, Ed.D. is an educator, award-winning author, and disability advocate based in Boca Raton, Florida, where she currently serves as the Principal at Tamim Academy. Justine was born with Atresia and Microtia. Microtia is a condition where the outer ear does not develop properly and Atresia is the absence of the ear canal, leaving her deaf in her left ear.
Knowing she was different from birth, and boasting three reconstructive surgeries under her belt, Justine learned to read lips and worked hard through school. She used her disability as motivation instead of an excuse, and ultimately found her life’s purpose through these challenges. Her passion for inspiring others moved her to write a story based on her own life, Completely Me, to teach readers to love themselves and others, and that everyone’s imperfections are what make them perfect.
Justine earned her Bachelor of Science in Elementary and Special Education from the University of Miami, a Master of Arts in Education, Policy and Social Analysis from Teachers College, Columbia University and her Doctorate in Education in Higher Education Leadership focusing on students with disabilities.
