04/19/2026
Antwone Fisher was born in Cleveland, Ohio on August 3, 1959. His father was killed before he was even born, and his mother couldn't raise him because she was in prison. As a baby, he was placed in foster care. He grew up feeling unwanted. After leaving foster care as a teenager and spending time homeless on the streets of Cleveland, Antwone joined the U.S. Navy at 18 years old.
The U.S. Navy gave Antwone discipline and a chance to rebuild himself. Even though he carried deep pain, he worked hard and earned respect. He served in the Navy for 11 years. After leaving, Antwone worked as a federal corrections officer and then a security guard for Sony Pictures Studios. On his breaks, he began to write his story, and turned his painful memories into words that would change his life. In 2001, his writing grew into a bestselling book "Finding Fish: A Memoir" and it was later made into the movie "Antwone Fisher." Denzel Washington even directed and starred in it.
Antwone later reunited with his family and found relatives he never knew. He met his mother for the first time. Even after all he went through, Antwone still became a New York Times bestselling author, screenwriter, and speaker. On April 14, 2026, Antwone released his book called "Reflections Beneath the Buckeye Trees: Notes from a Life.” With more than 390,000 children in foster care in America, his story is a powerful reminder that every child deserves a loving family.
(Photo: Antwone Fisher / Glenville House Press)
