Homeless Mom of four releases book to empower the youth — Says she was impacted by Marcus Mosiah Garvey
HOMESTEAD, FL (BlackNews.com) — Some may say speaking of the dead is creepy, but not this once homeless mother of four. Latoya Barnett’s story has inspired many lives. She grew up in the same house that Marcus Mosiah Garvey once lived in… and she says that spirit was always around her since birth. She saw that tourists from worldwide often came to visit her home. She enjoyed her journey through life greatly. Marcus Mosiah Garvey was known as a freedom fighter. He helped plenty of Africans to understand who they are and where they came from.
To Latoya, his spirit was always near her, and she says the warrior spirit is deep within her. For this reason, many others have taken note of how much strength she has.
She does not want anyone to experience the struggles she once had. Her personal struggle inspired her to write and publish A True Rest From the Wild – a book she wrote while homeless with no motivation, no coach and no money but a dream to help save lives.
The book is primarily for youth dealing with self-esteem issues, bullying and for those who witnessed domestic violence.
Latoya spoke with truth saying, “The spirit of Marcus Garvey has always been with her since birth” having grown up in the home he once lived in. Garvey was a hero and spiritual warrior known to the world for standing up for the rights of many african people who were enslaved by colonists. Latoya was born on Oct. 14, 1985 and she kept to herself growing up.
“Latoya was always a student of much potential,” says her literature teacher Mr. Goat. The young mom of four, ended up in Florida because she was a troubled teen. Due to her father’s financial issues, she had to move in with her mother in Miami. Her parents could not deal with Latoya being a constant disappointment.
To make it worse, Latoya became pregnant at the young age of 16. She continued to go to school when she became pregnant but, she hid her pregnancy from her mother for 7 months until she was discovered by her grandmother. The whole family was shocked and disappointed. Despite everything she continued her journey alone in the world with little to no support from family and yet she managed to endure. As a teenage mother, she had her first child at 16 and raised the baby on her own until she met her boyfriend who she would eventually marry and have 3 more kids with.
She later became homeless which made things difficult for her and her husband. Latoya felt it was best to leave her marriage since she was no longer happy. She remained homeless for a few months after her divorce. While homeless, she became a certified nursing assistant and began taking care of an elderly man. She would travel miles away to work while her children went to school. She then remembered her life growing up in Jamaica and how hard it was for her.
Latoya says she poured all her soul into publishing her first children’s book, A True Rest From the Wild. This book is her solution for the youth to overcome bullying in school. Bullying has become a major problem nationally, and Latoya wanted to help those children who may be facing the things she had to face.
Remembering how mean the children were at the school she attended in New York, she believes by reading this book students will have a better outlook on life in school. Latoya says that when she was bullied she never really put much trust in people except for one childhood friend that would often be there for her. She now believes that children should speak up more about this issue immediately, and seek help to overcome this challenge and live for a better future.
With her book, Latoya hopes to touch the lives of many youth all over the world.