WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Currie Park is a green space between two worlds, Palm Beach and the Tamarind community that Markee Drummer calls home.
"Growing up on Tamarind (Avenue) and then this close on the border of money, it's one of the richest counties in the world," said Drummer.
He's not wrong. According to Forbes, Palm Beach County is home to more than 40 billionaires.
It's also the backdrop of Drummer's young adult novel titled, "Tribe of Legend: The Awakening."
For him, the story is personal.
Using sports, Black history and relatable main characters, Drummer hopes to promote literacy.
"To see themselves represented in the story, oh yeah, it gives us so much dignity and pride," said Drummer.
Lifelong friend of Drummer, Terryon Chapman, said kids like they once were in Tamarind need the positive change of pace.
"You go from childhood friend to now this friend getting on drugs and then they start killing each other and all this other stuff," said Drummer.
"Tribe of Legend: The Awakening" is the first in a coming-of-age series following a pair of siblings discovering themselves in the face of social stereotypes.
Drummer hopes youth find the same power in these pages that he did.
"It's still surreal that I was able to find a place of myself that was always there," he said. "But I always downplayed because it would never be cool to have intellect as a Black person."
Armed with intelligence and fueled by their dreams, Drummer said, readers are in for treat.
"Just inspiration and encouragement to live outside the box," he said.
He's inspiring South Florida from Tamarind and beyond.
To find more info on where you can pickup and copy, visit https://fultonbooks.com/books/?book=tribe-of-legend-book-1-the-awakening
