Author, Speaker, and Down Syndrome Advocate
A few introductions. A website with my name on it, but about much more than me. Click here for the most recent blogs. New to our site? Scroll down to see our projects and adventures. We look forward to meeting you, too!
Author and Down Syndrome Advocate- Most Recent Posts
The Video Of Marcus Speaking at the United Nations
For real. If you want #BlackDayBook and Grown Ups and Downs updates, not too often – I promise, Join the Club here! Here's what we said: Listening to Self-Advocates: Relate, Respond, and Amplify (Marcus parts in bold) Ladies and Gentlemen, I’m Marcus Wright Sikora. I wrote a book called Black Day: The Monster Rock Band. I’m a storyteller, an actor, and a singer. I’m glad to be here with people from around the world talking about Down Syndrome. New York City is my favorite. This is my mom,
Music Therapy: Benefits and Our Experience
Photo Provided by Megan Catalibe Photography Marcus has always been a performer in addition to a creator. The microphone is his instrument of choice. In his teen years and early adulthood, he often enjoyed going to Karaoke Nights with our friends. His specialty songs included Harry Belefonte’s “Banana Boat Song” and The Blues Brothers, “Soul Man,” among others. And, as you may know, in 2015 with the book launch of Black Day: The Monster Rock Band, there was the release of his music video featuring the song,
Brushfield Spots – The Coolest Genetic Trait Ever
I was one of those moms that stared at her baby constantly. I marveled at him. Luckily, my friends also enjoyed this pastime. Maybe because we were broke. Staring at Marcus staring at the ceiling fan, or lying next to him and staring at the ceiling fan, was a hobby we could all afford.
Also because he was beautiful, he smiled readily, and his eyes sparkled.
I watched his deep blue eyes, expecting them to change into brown, or hazel, or in-between-green-and-something-else, like mine.
After he turned a year old, I celebrated the knowledge: Those blue eyes are here to stay!
A few months later he was at an evaluation of some sort with several clinical and scary looking people and one of them used the words: “Brushfield spots.”
A Day in the Life of a Husker Football Fan
Marcus and I had a good day in Lincoln yesterday. Cold, but good. I am a Husker Football fan. Marcus incrementally eased into fandom. Like most people, it started with the food and social aspect. He’d go to a live game with me once in a while, and take in the show of it. Several years back, the stadium added firework blasts after each score, that, on top of a brutal sunburn on the back of his neck, was the final straw. So he decreed, “I like the
Down Syndrome Author News, Events, Opinions
Changing the World
I shared this article with Marcus: "16 People With Down Syndrome Changing the World" He replied with "Yes, I am." This article from The Mighty rocks with some big-time accomplishments and names, including the Marcus Sikora. 🙂 On our Facebook Page - we encouraged everyone to share about the person with Down Syndrome you know - who is changing the world! Check out the full article on The Mighty Here.
Look Who’s on Yahoo Celebrity Lifestyle News!
The article begins... "Several celebrities walked the red carpet and the runway in the 10th anniversary “Be Beautiful, Be Yourself” Fashion Show Saturday, Oct 20. The crowd cheered and mingled with the likes of Colin Farrell, Jeremy Renner, Heather Graham and more! What makes this event especially impactful is the transformation of star-power when the models take to the runway. This photo is a great example. I mean come on! That guy in the background, he’s cool and famous and all (award-winning actor John C. McGinley) but I think we can all agree that Kate Winfield and Claire Hepburn are
Not New News, but News Worth Sharing
Talents of Omaha author Marcus Sikora shine in first children’s book A friend of mine sent me a picture of this article in print when it published two years ago. I stumbled upon the online version yesterdy while doing a Google search with my name mis-spelled. What? Nevermind, the crux is: Here's this cool article about Marcus! It begins: Omaha author Marcus Sikora, who created a children’s book about a monster band, recently met with first and second graders of Elkhorn’s Arbor View Elementary School, providing insight into the writing process of his first book. Sikora, who wrote the Halloween-themed