Oakland event celebrates reading to enhance lives of Black youth
OAKLAND -- On the first weekend of Black History Month, an event was held to promote reading among African American young people. Organizers say it is the key to understanding -- and being understood.
In 2015, the Oakland chapter of a national group called "Jack and Jill of America" began sponsoring the African American Read In, a gathering meant to get kids of all ages interested in the people and events that make up Black history.
"I know the ones most people know," said 12-year-old Adagio Williams. "But I'm sure there are way more that I haven't even been introduced to yet."
At Holy Names High School, which hosted the event, the day began with a reading from Oakland Youth poet laureate Kaylan Black.
Black, who has been accepted into prestigious Spelman College in Atlanta, said thta, despite her academic success, she has not been spared from the sting of racism.
"I think I'm one of eight Black kids in my school," she said. "It's like every time I get within a nice environment, there are people who want to hold me back because of the color of my skin and because of my gender and it's very hard for me to be able to express myself, which is why I turned to poetry."
Organizers of the read-in believe that knowledge and, in particular, reading is the key to both learning and passing on the achievements of African Americans.
"As Americans, that's who we are. That's what this is about," said chapter president Beryl Crumpton Potter. "Our story is a strong story -- it is the American story not just the Black History but it is the American story. And we're here to teach our children and let the world know that we're here, we're not going anywhere."
Workshops were held for all ages. One of them introduced kids as young as 2 to Black heroes. Another taught teens about the mysterious world of NFT's and cryptocurrency.
Nicole Colley is the mother of three teenagers and she admitted there are times when the generation gap can also prevent mutual understanding.
"We got called to the carpet about how we dismiss their feelings because they don't have the same experiences that we do," she said. "And, in fact, when we stopped to listen, they did have a lot to share -- something that we can learn from as well."
Differences in experience often lead to misunderstanding, especially in matters of race. At the read-in, the message was simple: words do matter.