GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A local mover and shaker is sharing the message that where you started is not where you have to end up.
Graci Harkema is a prominent figure in the world of diversity, equity and inclusion and lives here in West Michigan.
This week Harkema officially became a published author with the release of her new book "Rising". The memoir traces Harkema's journey from the Congo to finding her place in the world.
She was born during a period of civil unrest before being adopted by a family in Grand Rapids. For years, she thought her biological mother was dead, and at the age of 30 learned she was alive.
That discovery is part of the story she tells in her book, but Harkema says ultimately it became much more, "So rising speaks to our ability to rise through the adversity," said Harkema. "What I really wanted to get out of the story is for the reader to feel seen, and for the reader to know that we have the power within us to rise through the adversities that life throws at us."
"Rising" is available worldwide in hardcover or as an eBook.
As for what's next, Harkema says agents and producers have contacted her about turning her story into a movie or limited series.
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