CSMS Magazine
Following the release of his latest book Midnight at Noon, writer Ardain Isma was invited to speak at a youth forum in Atlanta, Georgia. The forum was organized by HYRO (Haitian-American Youth Reaching-out}. The event was held at a high school near Downtown Atlanta and it was attended by more than 200 students of Haitian ancestry. It was an amazing moment. Dr. Isma spoke about his upbringing in America, the coming of age with his understanding of complex problems of society, and what the students must do stay out of trouble in order to grow and blossom in America. Dr. Isma stressed the need to stay in school and graduate, as education is one of the best options and perhaps the ONLY option to earn the elusive ticket for the ride to the mainstream.
Many youngsters in the audience were mesmerized by Dr. Isma’s motivational speech. He reminded them of their Haitian heritage and how they could utilize their bilingualism and their cross-cultural awareness to their advantage as they become productive citizens 5 or 10 years from now. Dr. Isma also pointed out the importance of sticking to that heritage, for their birth in America was more of a circumstantial event than it was a voluntary act. If Haiti were in a position to offer great opportunities to all of its children, many of them would probably have not been born in the US. Dr. Isma closed his remarks by asking all the young people in the audience to stand up and repeat this: I AM AFRO-HAITIAN-AMERICAN and I AM PROUD of IT!
Note: Dr. Isma is a career educator. He is a university professor and he is a critically-acclaimed writer. His latest book is titles: Midnight at Noon. To order a copy, click here: Midnight at Noon More pictures can be found on the CSMS Magazine Facebook Fan Page: www.facebook.com/csmsmagazine
