Gerry Brooks

 LeDerick Horne

LeDerick Horne is a dynamic spoken-word poet, disability rights advocate, and co-author of Empowering Students with Hidden Disabilities: A Path to Pride and Success (Brookes Publishing), the leading resource on transition planning for students with LD, ADHD, and other hidden disabilities. Diagnosed with a learning disability in the third grade, LeDerick has transformed personal adversity into a platform for systemic change—using poetry, policy, and public speaking to champion equity, inclusion, and self-determination for people with disabilities. 

The grandson of a New Jersey-based civil rights leader, LeDerick's work bridges education, social justice, and disability advocacy. Notably, he has presented at prestigious venues such as the White House and the United Nations and has established enduring partnerships with organizations like the Nevada Department of Education and the Oklahoma DD Council's Youth Leadership Forum for over 15 years. 

LeDerick is the co-founder of the Black I/DD Consortium and recently co-directed a two-year initiative funded by the New Jersey Council on Developmental Disabilities to expand information access for Black New Jerseyans with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. He is currently collaborating with Dr. John McNaught of James Madison University on a contract with the Delaware Department of Education to lead in-district trainings that help students with disabilities and their families build self-determination and advocacy skills, drawing from the I’m Determined Project and his book. 

He also cohosts the Black and Dyslexic Podcast with Winifred Winston, a show dedicated to empowering adults and parents of children with dyslexia and other language-based learning differences. Through every chapter of his journey—from navigating hidden disabilities to leading national initiatives—LeDerick continues to inspire others with a message rooted in pride, resilience, and possibility.