Blog Buddy--Author, Activist: Felix Sirls (Part 1)

I had written about my father, one of those school assignments; a thousand words or less. I wrote on how I had lived in foster homes and was forced to run away from home living on the streets and feeling safer on the streets than at home. Well the teacher asked me where I had copied the work from. I wanted to slap her in the mouth. Its like a black kid could not think or write anything. I was called into the counselors office, the counselor read my essay, looked me in the eye and told me to never stop writing. Those words shocked me, I had been ready to act out kick and scream shout out hateful words. I sat there in shock, someone had seen me, felt me, knew I was alive. This man told me he was proud of me as he handed me my paper with an A on it. I did not skip school that day nor for non I can remember after. That counselor had given me back my pride and helped me grow a little by his words.