The University of Rochester is offering a "Human Library" this afternoon as part of its Meliora Weekend, the annual parent and alumni reunion celebration.
A Human Library is a collection of people who "readers" can "check out" like books, and hear their story.
Yahoda "Hoody" Miller is one of the Human Books. He grew up in the city of Rochester and became an orphan at the age of 11 when his mother died of cancer. Hoody said he never knew his father.
"The only thing I knew about him was that he got my mom pregnant on her birthday...with me."
Hoody graduated in from Wilson Magnet High School and is now a volunteer peace advocate at the Gandhi Institute.
"We just teach the seventh and eighth grade boys, you know, there's an option,” Miller said. “You don't have to be a thug. You don't have to wear a bandana to get girls or be cool. Just be yourself to progress. If anything, have faith, and be yourself to progress."
There are 19 Human Books to choose from at the event. Others include a tattoo artist and a transgender person.
The Human Library runs today from 2 to 6 p.m. at the Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester River campus.
