There were some unfamiliar faces at Asa G. Hilliard Elementary School when classes began Wednesday.
The visitors sat in front of each classroom in the East Point school flipping through books, reading to the students.
The guest readers were members of the Omicron Phi Lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. The visit is part of a burgeoning effort to help raise literacy rates among Black grade school students as part of its Literacy Take Over Day.
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.”
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
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.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
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 year were Black, state data shows. Some research shows that Black students assigned to Black teachers are more likely to graduate from high school and enroll in college.
In recent years, in response to concerns about Black students struggling in the classroom, more Black men in Georgia and in other states have organized activities in schools to support students. In January, for example, 100 Black Men of Douglasville welcomed New Manchester Elementary School students with high-fives on the 100th day of school to show students examples of men living and working in their own community. The Fulton school district has mentoring partnerships with more than a dozen organizations aimed at supporting Black students. Most, though, work in middle or high schools.
Pierre Gaither, president of the Omicron Phi Lambda chapter, said they are also working with schools across Fulton County such as Fulton Leadership Academy, Westlake High School and more. He said their goal is to continue developing relationships with school districts and students to bring positive Black representation to grade school students across the state.
“Being visible is very important. We understand that as an organization based around community involvement, it’s important not to just be involved financially but to (be) present and show your presence to the kids and the community,” said Jermaine White, a member of the fraternity.
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Credit: arvin.temkar@ajc.com
Walker said having the fraternity and other community leaders come visit students is important in establishing relatable representations for students.
“I always think about our students being able to see someone that looks like them,” she said.
Walker is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. She said her connection with Alpha Phi Alpha opens the door for consistent and meaningful relationships with students and creating passions for literacy and education.
“We have engineers, we have designers, we have people who are great in math — we’re using all of our collected resources to show kids and show the youth ‘You can also do these things too,’ ” White said.
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