You Still Called Me

To every young person who has needed someone to listen before deciding who they are.

To the parents, caregivers, and families who keep showing up through hard seasons.

And to those who have carried pain in silence: your story matters, and your future is still full of purpose.

I first wrote this story as a stage play under my former name, Diashka B. Jackson. You Still Called Me brings that story into a new form.

These characters face moments that ask more of us than a quick judgment. In my work with children and families, I have learned to listen for the need beneath the behavior and to remember that one difficult chapter does not define a whole life.

My faith reminds me that hope can meet us even in the hardest places. I hope this book invites you to listen closely, to make room for compassion, and to remember that every child’s story matters.

— Dysheka Sanders