Coming Home to Harlem
Names have been changed. It was 6th grade recess, and a couple of girls were complaining about how far away they lived from school. I stared off into space, kicking at the fake grass beneath my feet, hoping they wouldn’t ask me where I lived. To the mostly White, wealthy students at my public school […]
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Of Course I’m Smart Enough
“OK class, we’re about to transition to community meeting! On my count. One!” announced my 4th grade teacher. One was the signal to push out your seat from the desk. “Good job we’re moving with urgency! I like it Morgan State!” Morgan State was the name of this class; almost every class at Excellence Boys […]
Read MoreWriting contest winners winter 2023
Four times a year, we ask our readers to write about the impact recent stories have had on teens around the country. In Winter 2022-23, we had a range of responses from writers connecting to stories about family, race, online culture, self image, and the importance of a name. Congratulations to our winners and be […]
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New NYC Program Provides College Funds to Teens in Foster Care
I am a high school senior in foster care. I have started my college applications and I know I won’t be able to pay every dollar for tuition, room and board, and other essentials. So when my editor at Represent told me about Mayor Adam’s announcement about a college financial assistance program for NYC-based youth […]
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