Dalain Williams: 817-797-8900
B.L.A.C.K. Community Reads initiative aimed at increasing literacy and unity with Black Males Students via study-groups
FORT WORTH, TX, August 30, 2020 — September is declared National Literacy Month and students across the country are embarking on a new school year. Many Black students are returning to school-houses across the U.S. with to a virtual environment and little to no access to African-centered curriculums and information. There was a recent article published in NY Times, The Link Between Reading Level and Dropout Rates, that conjectured Black students may not be ‘reading comfortably’ on grade level due to the lack of exposure to early literacy programs. Studies have also shown that Culturally Based Education (CBE) is one way to increase academic achievement and graduation rates. Black community Reads is designed to address African American Male Youth (1) book together.
The public education system in America often fails to present an accurate, complete and inclusive history of Black people. Therefore, the Black community must study and educate ourselves on matters concerning our heritage, our values, our achievements, and our vision as a culture. Based on the 2003 National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 90 million Americans read at basic and below basic levels. Additionally, results from 2009 National Center for Education Statistics show that 54 percent of 4th grade and 44 percent of 8th grade African American students scored below the “Basic” level on the NAEP reading test. As a group of men advising young men, coming together collectively to read will enrich the fabric of our values by encouraging literacy and unity, providing a platform for dialogue, and engaging us to be involved with our education and success as Blacks.
We are asking participants, individuals and organizations, to purchase Clubhouse Mysteries Series by Sharon M. Draper from a Black owned bookstore locally or online by Sunday, September 8th, 2020. Go to the website www.MakinItCool.com/Read, to Join the Zoom call starting, Sunday September 8th, 2020 at 5p.m. CT. Through the duration of this journey, we will read a book every 2 weeks. Our goal is to make it fun to read, find creative ways to encourage others to participate and use social media as a vehicle to make the project go viral.
The books selected are a series of fictional, mystery books by Sharon M. Draper. Sharon M. Draper is a professional educator as well as an accomplished writer. She has been honored as the National Teacher of the Year, is a five-time winner of the Coretta Scott King Literary Awards, and is a New York Times bestselling author, with Out of my Mind staying on the list for almost two years. She was selected as Ohio’s Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator, Ohio Teacher of the Year, and was chosen as a NCNW Excellence in Teaching Award winner.
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Zoom Meeting Details: Test
Buy Book: Test
Study Guide: https://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=2