Oscar Boykin of Hayneville just wants to be heard.

“I was mute until the age of 9, started making full sentences at the age of 12. At the age of 13, my inability to speak had put me behind most children,” Boykin said.

Boykin not only overcame his inability to speak, but also is now the host of a local access channel television show aired by Hayneville Telephone Company HTV on Channel 33 nightly at 9 p.m.

Boykin said he wants his story to be an inspiration to others.

According to Boykin, he has been a contractor, worked on houses and run other small businesses. “But my biggest dream was to be heard,” he said.

He said he met someone from Hayneville Telephone Company (Evelyn P. Causey, who serves as chief operating officer) who was “so nice” to give him an opportunity to be on local Channel 33.

“We have had the local Channel 33, we call it HTV, for quite some time,” Causey said. ”We have had a few small shows on there, but nothing that had enough of a local flavor to actually get some interest going in it.”

She said Boykin thought he would have to pay for air time, but instead he was offered some free air time that would allow him the opportunity to air his show that is “community information type driven.”

Causey said she gave him the opportunity, and he took it by the horns and has “done a good job with it.”

She said the show is available to all Hayneville Telephone customers who have HTV.

Causey said programs with representatives of Alabama Power and attorney Mickey McDermott’s office are currently airing.

“We were glad to give Mr. Boykin the opportunity to air a local show that provides not only information to our citizens, but also current events,” Causey said.

Boykin said he constantly brings people out from Lowndes County for the show and does his interviews in the lobby area of the telephone company.

He said he is also taping county commission and city council meetings to be aired on his show.

According to Boykin, he was born and raised on the west side of Montgomery “in a rough environment, but a blessed environment.” He said he came to Lowndes County in his search to start new businesses.

“I had a major speech impediment all of my childhood and most of my adulthood,” Boykin said. “After it was all said and done, God still smiled down on me to be heard.”

He said he now makes his home is Lowndes County and he loves Lowndes County.

Many may know Boykin from his Arm and Hammer Home Repair Company.

He said was home schooled by his mother, but said his show is about bringing educated people on to teach him as well as others.

“Even if a person doesn’t have a big education degree and doesn’t have such a wonderful laid out background, we can search for just a common ground of knowledge and we can find out and inspire others and push a long way to helping other people,” he said.

Boykin said he has also begun taking GED Classes through Wallace Community College of Selma in Hayneville.