Jazmen Hawthorne
“Everything moved so fast and it was never really clear what was going on, or what was going to happen, when I was taken by DHS at age 13. For a while, I had no visitation with my mom or my great grandmother, who actually raised me. I had no clue what was going on with my life. My voice didn't matter.
But from the system, I learned it was my right to participate in decisions made about me. I learned to be strong and stand up for myself and advocate for others. Ask questions! ‘Nothing about you without you.’ If you don't know something, ask. If you're confused, ask. Know that your voice matters. Know you have rights and you deserve to know what's going on with YOU!”
