AMEER BARAKA
Ameer has a powerful and emblematic story. Born in a vulnerable area of New Orleans, his dyslexia and the resulting difficulty in reading made the streets more attractive to him than the school that didn't welcome him. His turning point came in prison, and today, as an acclaimed actor, he recounts his journey in a book that serves as an inspiration to many young Americans and people around the world. He is tireless in his fight for awareness and attention to dyslexia.
@AMEERBARAKA
2024
UNDIAGNOSED: THE UGGLY SIDE OF DYSLEXIA
Born in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, Emmy-nominated actor Ameer Baraka portrays in his book his artistic, personal, and intellectual maturation on the streets of his city in the 1980s. With a history that includes a conviction for involuntary manslaughter at age 14, he narrates the violence of the streets coupled with learning difficulties related to dyslexia. He received the diagnosis in prison, where he learned to read and write and became aware of his differences and the opportunities to demonstrate the possibilities of education inside and outside the prison system. His self-discovery of various existential questions led him to become a role model for people with similar life trajectories.
.
Oscar D'Ambrosio
.
LITERATURE
by
AMEER
I can't say it in one word, I can't say it in one sentence. There are people who say that dyslexia is a gift, a blessing, and I'm not going to argue that point.
I think that dyslexia, for a person who is in the right environment, who has the right parents by their side, can be a gift.
But it's certainly not a gift for people living in poverty, people who don't know what dyslexia is. So I think dyslexia can deprive us of the talents and abilities God has given us because, once again, it impacts our emotional and spiritual well-being.
If you can't read or write fluently, I wouldn't call it a gift, but on the other hand, it's who I am now.
Being dyslexic, I know how to navigate situations and have a kind of confidence and awareness of who I am, and that what I have doesn't limit me, but propels me forward.
So a person with dyslexia must find a deep meaning within themselves to live and want to achieve something more than the ability to read and write, and that requires a lot, it's true, it comes with years of encouragement, it takes time, and I can't sum it up in one word.
I hope that the person will look at my life, my journey, and say: - you know, if you succeeded, there is hope for me.
