RebiRth

DReam
A Young Black Mans Fearless Mission to Resurrect His Fathers Vision

of a

E A N

G A R R E T T

RebiRth

DReam
A Young Black Mans Fearless Mission to Resurrect His Fathers Vision

of a

Omaha, Nebraska

E A N

G A R R E T T

 2012 Ean Garrett All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For publishing inquiries, address McKenzie & Porter Publishing, McKenzie and Porter Publishing PO Box 183, Omaha, NE 68101, 402884-5995. This book is a personal story and is not intended to be a source for any type of medical advice, legal counsel, or other professional guidance. If you need help, it is your responsibility to seek advice from the appropriate professional. Author has obtained permission from persons mentioned (or their families) to share their stories, or has used pseudonyms and changed other identifying information for the protection of certain individuals. Products or services mentioned herein are the property of their respective trademark, service mark, or copyright owners and are designated so by this statement. The author holds no responsibility or liability for the performance or nonperformance of any product, service, or organization mentioned herein.

ISBN13: 978-1-936840-11-3 Library of Congress Control Number: 2012936335

Authors Note: The people and incidents described in this book are real. In a few cases names have not been used to preserve anonymity. The original poetry was written for this book. Printed in the USA. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Contents
Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 01 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 05 1 Deja Vu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 2 The Rise of the P.H.O.E.N.I.X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 3 The Forgotten . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 4 The White Demon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 5 Musical Chairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 6 Mentoring Opens Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 7 The River Styx . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 8 Shooting for the Stars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 9 Landing on the Moon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167 10 The Appian Way. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195 Conclusion: Rebirth of a Dream . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241 About the Author . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247

Foreword

FoRewoRD

How did I meet Ean Garrett? At the time, I was the CEO of MENTOR: The National Mentoring Partnership, and we were deep in the process of planning for an upcoming series of events. We had reached the point in the event planning cycle that produces either panic or euphoria: we were exploring the list of available speakers. One slot left unfilled called for a young person who was involved in a mentoring relationship and who had both the willingness and ability to talk to a very large audience. At that moment in the discussion, colleague James Waller walked into the room, interrupted our work session and said, Youve got to meet this kid from Nebraska. That kid was fifteen-year-old Ean Garrett, who went on to speak to the audience assembled in New York for MENTORs 2002 National Recognition Event. Heres how Ean concluded his remarks:

REBIRTH OF A DREAM

From the start I was expected to lose. Everything I have right now is mostly because I defied what the world concluded about me before I could even speak a word in my defense. And my defense is that I am just as capable as any person to do great things. Like you, I think about all the things this world could achieve if every child were given the right tools. Mentoring is the right tool and it is the way to their own American Dream. I hope you will promise to do all everything you can to help make mentoring and the American Dream a reality for every child in this city and every other city in the country. Its their best defense, too. While all in the audience were touched by Eans poise, passion, and the particulars of his personal odyssey, I was impressed by something else as well. Eans remarks focused on himself only insofar as needed to make an authentic, unapologetic plea for all the young people who found themselves in the same hard place as he. From that moment on, Ive never failed to be impressed by the young boy Ean was and the young man he has become. As you read this book, my bet is that you will not only be equally impressed, you will be moved by the story of a boy whose early years were marked by a series of devastating blows. Odds makers will tell you that any one of themthe murder of his father; the drug dependency and subsequent rehabilitation of his

F O R E WO R D

mother; the inability of a foster-care system to help rather than harmwas likely to have consigned Ean to a future few of us would regard as worth having. Instead, Ean found his way to sources of help, asked for help, and kept asking until he got what he needed to get to where he knew he could go. Today, Ean Garrett is a new graduate of the University of Nebraska Law School just about to embark on a career that delivers on his dreams and honors the achievements of the father he never got the chance to know. Let him tell you how he managed to do this. You are sure to be struck by how very much it takes to beat the odds makers and appalled that this is so. You are sure, too, to appreciate the remarkable persistence and extraordinary kindness of heart that makes his hardwon insights worth serious attention. And, finally, you are certain to leave the experience as grateful as I was for an introduction to Mr. Ean Garrett, Esquire. Gail Manza CEO, MENTOR