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" One by one the Essence Awards honorees were called onto the stage. First went civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, then movie director Spike Lee, followed by comedian Eddie Murphy, and then Dr. Benjamin S. Carson. Ben stood and walked forward to the stage. It was one of the most surreal moments of his life. He wondered how he belonged in the same category as those around him on the stage. It was hard for him to imagine that he, a pediatric neurosurgeon, was being publicly honored along with the most recognizable African American men and women in the country. As he stood onstage, staring out at the crowd, Ben thought about the path his life had taken. Who could have guessed that he, a poor black boy from a single-parent home in Detroit, would end up a brain surgeon? Certainly not those who had considered him the class dummy back in elementary school. Here he was, not just a brain surgeon, but a brain surgeon being honored for the work he had undertaken—experimental surgeries that gave children a chance at life. "
― Janet Benge ,
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" When Pastor Ford invited those who wanted to commit their life to Jesus Christ to come to the front of the church, both Ben and Curtis made their way forward. As the family walked home after church, Ben had a serious conversation with his mother. “I know what I want to do now,” he said. Sonya stopped walking and gave her son her full attention as Ben announced, “I want to be a doctor. Can I be a doctor?” Sonya met Ben’s eyes. “Listen to me, son,” she said. “If you ask the Lord for something and then believe He will do it, it will happen for sure.” “I believe I can be a doctor, Mama.” She put her hands on Ben’s shoulders. “Then, Bennie, you will be a doctor. "
― Janet Benge ,