Originally Filmed on Ted Talks June 2012 and Published on YouTube on October 27, 2012
Poet and Playwright Lemn Sissay shares his childhood memories with us as a child of the system. He draws our attention to some great stories in history starring a hero that conquers their condition (Point 2:05) of being fostered, adopted or orphaned. At point, 3:14, Mr. Sissay touches on the systems that lack empowerment to these survivors, forgetting the respect that they deserved through the memories that the children own and live with for the rest of their lives. As he tells his story of his childhood, I can hear his pain and I can see his realization that the systems that are put into place to pass along unwanted children are for the convenience of the state and not the humanizing benefit of the children that actually live the stories.
