Original Freedom Writer student Darrius Garrett Motivational Speaker from Los Angeles, CA

In a few short years, author, songwriter, motivational speaker and freedom writer Darrius Garrett transitioned from the 'hood to humanitarian, reaching heights he previously could only imagine. As an inner-city youth of Long Beach, California, Garrett could easily have become a product of his environment but instead rose to become a pillar of his community. He became a New York Times bestselling author at a young age when he co-wrote The Freedom Writers Diary, which inspired the 2007 movie The Freedom Writers starring Hilary Swank. In the film, Garrett was portrayed as the heart-wrenching character Marcus. He also wrote the song "Change" for the movie's soundtrack. He frequently speaks to at-risk youth in schools and detention centers, as well as educators, social workers, businesspeople and politicians. Motivating his audiences with his story of hope, tolerance and action, Garrett encourages them to become the fire that ignites change.