The stories of pain and heartache were published in a new book written by a group of students at Miami Norland Senior High School.
Teacher Glenda Moton spearheaded the project which is part of an election class called “Freshman Experience”. She said she got the idea after having a disheartening conversation with her students about their lives in a violence-prone community.
“They refer to Miami Gardens as Murder Gardens. I thought that was really interesting. And, basically thought to myself can anything good come out of Miami Gardens,” said Moton. "It just came to me ‘I think, I read, I write.’”
When the students submitted their entries, their stories, narratives and poems were so powerful, Moton took the work of 16 students and printed the 1st edition of ” iRead, iThink, iWrite.” The students' book signing was held Tuesday.
"It's students telling their stories that are poignant, that are deep, that talks about hope, change, violence,” said Moton.
The book offers a glimpse of life through these young eyes. Freshman Rodney Vaughn thought he would forever have his father until a deadly disease robbed his life just last year.
"When he died, it really impacted and imprinted in my mind throughout my life. So, when I talk about it, people know how I felt and how it affected me,” explained Vaughn.
The stories are real and they offer perspective of adversity and strain in the lives of the young students that so many others are immune to. At Tuesday’s book signing, one student read an excerpt from the poem “Little Sister”, which is featured in the book:
"Never forget the calls. Never forget we possess black love, but in place we like to possess black guns and shoot down the ones we're taught to love".
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The book’s simple premise is to teach the complexities of connection with self-emotion and to put it to paper in expressive literature. The group of sophomores used its experiences to capitalize on the rare opportunity to be published.
"This is something they'll never forget and its' something they can put on their college resume,” Moton said.
The book is available for sale online and Amazon is expected to sell it on its website. Moton hopes the program can expand across the district.
