Rodney Peete Jr. understands that he is an advocate for kids with autism and hopes Rihanna reads his book. Holly Robinson Peete and her husband, Rodney Peete Sr., tell Ebony.com that their son was motivated to contribute to the family’s newest literary work, Same But Different, after learning that Rihanna may pick up a copy.
“He was kind of into it,” Holly says of her son’s initial enthusiasm. “I think he was into the idea of having his voice heard, but when we would sit down to do it, sometimes he would get a little fidgety.” In efforts to keep her son on track, Holly used a bit of inspiration. “I was like, ‘It’s going to be a good book, and it’s going to be a great platform.’ He said, ‘Will Rihanna read it?’ I said, ‘Maybe. Maybe Rihanna will read it.’ That was good motivation.”
In being motivated to push for change in society, young Rodney is often met with challenges of his own. “We’re in that transition of his sister getting ready to go off to college, and she is going to move and have a new experience,” says Rodney Peete Sr. “Part of that is wondering if he will ever be able to live on his own. We address and talk about that quite [often] and also getting a job. We talk to companies and businesses that can accept kids with special needs, and how they can flourish inside that environment. We worry about that. The tough part is that he’s fully aware. He’s got a lot [of] talent, but it’s a tough dance to try to find that niche.”
Rodney Jr. and his twin sister Ryan are Holly and Rodney Peete’s oldest children. The couple also have two sons named Robinson and Roman. You can see all members of the Peete family in their reality series, For Peete’s Sake, which airs on OWN every week. Learn more about Holly’s new book here.
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