Cedric Hurtt

Cedric I. Hurtt's long-held secret caused him great anxiety: He could barely read or write. He was functionally illiterate. In his first year of college, he was finally diagnosed with dyslexia.

His teachers had worked with him, "but none of them got any good results out of me. Back in the 1960's, no one knew what dyslexia was, not in Kansas City, anyway." It was not until Cedric was in his late 20's that he found help at Literacy Kansas City.

Even then, it took 11 years of hard work. "I have dyslexia, it plays tricks on you. It really played tricks on my mind." One week he would be reading well, the next week, "horrible."
"For 35 years of my life, I did not feel a part of it. I was walking around hoping no one would find out my big secret."

Presently, Cedric has two sons in college, owns a thriving business, and has written and illustrated two books. The first book, “I Look Up To My Dad”, is about a journey through childhood with father and son. The second book is, “Our First Business Venture”, which centers around two brothers thinking about starting a business.

“Knowing how to read is the greatest thing that ever happened in my life. I am able to go into a restaurant, read the menu, and order what I want. Not just by looking at the pictures, but by reading the menu. When I’m grocery shopping, I can read the labels on the food. I can read and understand my own mail. Now I can read a book, the newspaper, and learn about the world, not just by seeing it or hearing it on television."

Photograph copyright 2013 Larry F. Levenson. All rights reserved.