Twenty-three members of the fraternity visited each classroom reading from “Keep Dreaming, Black Child,” by Nyasha Williams and “I Am Every Good Thing” by Derrick Barnes.
“The kids absolutely love seeing visitors come in. They were actually surprised this morning. It wasn’t something they were prepared for, so they were extra excited,” Hilliard’s principal, Tiambi Walker, said. “We want our students to see as much as they can and experience as much as they can.”
The fraternity members visited children as young as kindergartners and spoke with them about their life goals and aspirations while discussing the value of dreams and finding inspiration.
“The books were inspiring, uplifting books that enforce positivity and reinforce the idea of achievement as you get older. That’s our purpose when we go into the community to elevate particularly young people,” said Curtis Bunn, a fraternity member and organizer of the Literacy Take Over Day. Bunn, an author, is the founder of the National Book Club Conference, which exposes audiences to Black writers.
He said this effort directly connects to one of Alpha Phi Alpha’s signature national programs, Go to High School Go to College. Established in 1922, the program aims to provide resources and environments that encourage Black students to enroll in college and pursue higher education as a means for success. Alpha Phi Alpha, founded in 1906, is the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men.
For the fraternity members, this is not solely about literacy. It’s about being present in the lives of students who don’t see many people who look like them and inspiring the students to excel academically. Just 2% of U.S. teachers are Black men, according to federal estimates. At Asa G. Hilliard, 86% of the students last school…
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