By Latisha Porter, Ph.D.
I was born and raised in Hamilton, Ohio, the youngest of seven children. My life began with a profound loss when my mother, Rosalie Lampley Porter, passed away just six weeks after I was born. My father and grandmother stepped in to raise me, and it was my grandmother who became one of the most influential figures in my life.
“Mighty Hearoes: Tales of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Champions” is a 10-book series for children.
My grandmother was hard of hearing and proudly wore her behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids. I spent my childhood watching her advocate for herself, firmly asking people to repeat what they said until she understood. She did the same for me whenever I struggled to catch a word. My father lived with hearing loss too, but it never stopped him. He always wore his hearing aids and carried himself with a quiet strength.
Growing up in Ohio, I was surrounded by love, mentors, and community programs that kept me grounded. However, my academic journey was a battle against a system not built for me. My struggles began in 3rd grade after a teacher requested I take a hearing test. For the first time, I was confronted with words I had never heard clearly before. The results crushed my confidence, and from that point until high school graduation, I battled silently.
I didn’t even realize I was reading lips; it was simply how I survived in classrooms where people assumed I heard everything. If a teacher turned away while speaking, I had no idea what they said. No one explained why I often misunderstood, I was simply expected to keep up.
The series includes a coloring book for adults as well as children.
Though I remained active in extracurriculars, my grades suffered and I barely made it to graduation. I didn't fully realize the extent of my hearing loss until after high school, when I moved to New Jersey to live with my sister. She believed I would find greater opportunities there—and she was right.
Looking back, I know that invisible weight was already shaping me. My resilience and faith were forged in those moments when I missed classroom instructions but refused to let it dampen my determination. I have worn two BTE hearing aids for as long as I can remember now. Without them, the world goes completely silent.
There are moments in life when success rises far beyond personal achievement. For me, earning my Ph.D. in organizational development and leadership was proof that my hearing loss would never silence my dreams. As one of just 1.2 percent of deaf or hard of hearing people to earn a doctorate, my journey was fueled by the absence of my mother and an unshakable belief in possibility. Every obstacle became fuel for the life I wanted to build—one rooted in service and representation.
Representation has been my guiding light because as a child, I never saw characters in books who looked like me or navigated the world with hearing loss. That absence sends a silent message to children that their experiences don’t belong in stories. I’ve made it my mission to change that.
In addition to the children’s books, Dr. Porter has also written about growing up with a hearing loss as well as a book for those with hearing loss to help explain their experience with their typical hearing peers.
For over 30 years, I have dedicated myself to the Seton Hall Law School Center for Social Justice. Today, I serve as president of the Hearing Loss Association of America’s New Jersey State Association and cofounder of the HLAA Essex County Chapter. My work has included time as a research associate for the National Deaf Center, collaborating on initiatives for deaf students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities and publishing postdoctoral journal articles focused on the lived experiences of our community.
This mission extends to my proudest creative work: “Mighty Hearoes: Tales of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Champions.” As the first known Black author to publish a 10-book children’s series centered on deaf, hard of hearing, and disabled heroes, I’ve created what I once longed for: stories where children see themselves as powerful. The series has since expanded into picture books and a nature-themed coloring book, “Hearoes: Growing With Nature—Seeds of Calm,” inviting everyone to experience joy and self-expression.
I believe my journey embodies perseverance and the hope that no barrier is too great to break. When a child sees themselves in a story, they don’t just find a character—they find proof that their voice, dreams, and future truly matter.
Latisha Porter, Ph.D., is president of the Hearing Loss Association of America’s New Jersey State Association, cofounder of the HLAA-NJ Essex County Chapter, and a Gallaudet University certified peer mentor. For more, see her page on Amazon.com.
The Latest Blog Posts
As the first known Black author to publish a 10-book children’s series centered on deaf, hard of hearing, and disabled heroes, I’ve created what I once longed for: stories where children see themselves as powerful.