Tyler Merritt: The Summer That Changed My Life
Actor and activist Tyler Merritt has been known over the years for a number of things. He’s in shows like “Falcon and the Winter Soldier” and “Outer Banks”. He’s created viral videos like “Before You Call the Cops” and “Walking While Black” (viewed by over 60 million people worldwide). Me? I’m a Collection Development Manager in a library, so if I know about him, it’s because of his books. Let’s put it this way. If I face out his memoir I Take My Coffee Black: Reflections on Tupac, Musical Theater, Faith, and Being Black in America, it gets checked out that day. I suppose it was only a matter of time before he thought about doing a picture book.
A Door Made for Me was released just yesterday and stems from a moment in Tyler’s childhood when he encountered blunt racism knowingly for the first time. It was the summer that changed his life.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Today, I have the honor of premiering a video in which Mr. Merritt speaks about that moment, in a video geared towards educators:
Big thanks to Nicole Banholzer for allowing me to premiere this vid. As I mentioned before A Door Made for Me was released yesterday. Kirkus has called it “A tender tribute to the power of family in bolstering children making their way in an often unkind world.” Take some time. Give it a look.
Filed under: Videos

About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Horn Book, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on Twitter: @fuseeight.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
SLJ Blog Network
Newbery Jump 2025
Morgana & Oz, Vol. 1 | Review
Goodbye for now
When Book Bans are a Form of Discrimination, What is the Path to Justice?
Take Five: February 2025 Middle Grade Graphic Novels
ADVERTISEMENT