The Power of Reading

This blog was written as part of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library's Black Lives Matter program initiative. Learn  more about the program and corresponding events here.

Teresa Clay and Carmella Powers, library staff with the Sugar Creek Branch Library, have organized a Black Lives Matter book club for fifth graders at Sugar Creek Charter School. While sitting in on one of their book club discussions in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr., one thing was obvious, these fifth graders love this book club. They were engaged and listened attentively throughout the entire program, asked thoughtful questions, and most importantly to us as librarians, discovered the cathartic power of reading.

Andrea Davis Pinkney wrote a piece recently for NPR that spoke to the power of reading aloud with children and its role in the Black Lives Matter movement. 

“When I invite kids to read select passages with me, they're empowered to speak up about their beliefs. Each time they hear the words of a story coming out of their own mouths, they're emboldened to keep reading," says Andrea. "These same kids are more inclined to seek out more books, and they're encouraged to share the books they love with their friends. That's what activism is. A movement begins when a passionate person gathers like-minded people and says, "Let's do this together."

Pinkney’s experience reading aloud with children is a mirror of what can be observed with the Black Lives Matter book club organized by Teresa and Carmela.

Teresa Clay (Left) and Carmella Powers (Right)

Since it began in November, this book club has become the highlight of everyone’s afternoon, including Library staff, teachers and students. At first, they only met twice a month, but due to its popularity, it has been bumped up to a weekly meeting. Each week Library staff provide stories and activities that leave the class wanting more. As the kids in the book club say, this class has been “POPPIN” ever since.

Teresa discussed the book club’s necessity with her fellow staff and shared some of the “nerve-wrenching” discussions she was having during these meetings. 

“Without a doubt, most of these children have felt sad in their own personal battle with racism. Whether it was something they've gone through or something they’ve witnessed firsthand," Teresa says. "Some kids talk excitedly over one another, while others let their faces talk for them. One student provided an example of when he was scared for his life. Another talked about the justice system not being fair ‘at all’.  A few students have lost all respect for the police department. These students know racism very well. During one discussion, a student asked, "What did we do to deserve all of this?"

 Nerve-wrenching is right.

With all that has happened this year, and all that is on the horizon, reading books that feature Black stories allow students the opportunity to process what is happening in the world around them. It empowers them to learn more and find creative solutions to make our world better. Above all else, it is the thoughtful lesson planning by Sugar Creek Branch Library staff and the fact that students are looking for an outlet such as this that make this book club not only needed, but the best part of their week.

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This blog post was written by Lonna Vines, children’s librarian at Hickory Grove Branch Library.