St. Louis Literacy Organization Aids Black Students in Reading Proficiency Journey

At the onset of the pandemic, a virtual book club was initiated by Black men in St. Louis to foster a sense of community. Over time, this initiative has evolved into an organization committed to addressing the city’s youth literacy problem.

Established in 2020 by Keyon Watkins, Black Men Read initially comprised Watkins and approximately 15 friends engaging in book discussions via platforms like Facetime and Zoom, focusing on titles such as The Art of War and The Four Agreements. However, a personal tragedy on Mother’s Day two years later catalyzed Watkins to expand the organization’s scope.

On May 8, 2022, Watkins experienced the loss of his brother, Damon Hawkins, who was a victim of a fatal shooting in a parking lot.

“My older brother was very intelligent,” Watkins shared, “However, he couldn’t read. When you can’t read, you have limited options in life. What could the trajectory of his life have been if he knew how to read?”

Hawkins’ illiteracy prevented him from graduating high school. Despite efforts from Watkins, his mother, and niece to assist Hawkins in completing job applications, his literacy challenges restricted his job and housing opportunities, ultimately leading to a tragic outcome in a problematic neighborhood where he resided.

Following his brother’s tragic demise, Watkins was fueled to advocate against gun violence and expand Black Men Read into a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing youth literacy.

The city of St. Louis has long battled with low reading proficiency among its student population. As of 2021, only 11% of K-12 Black public school students in the city demonstrated proficiency in reading, contrasting starkly with the 55% proficiency rate among white students.

Studies reveal that third graders failing to reach reading proficiency are four times less likely to graduate high school than their proficient counterparts. In 2021, merely 89 out of 1,149 Black third graders in St. Louis achieved proficiency or advanced levels in English Language Arts.

In 2022, Missouri enacted a law mandating schools to prioritize science-based reading strategies for literacy enhancement. Despite this, Watkins and the community are actively taking steps without delay.

In response, the organization collaborated with Head Start programs to read to preschoolers. Subsequently, Watkins and eight members initiated outreach to potential tutors for older students, leading to volunteer work at Barack Obama Elementary School. They assisted 15 students in grades one through five after school hours and plan to extend this initiative to more schools within the Normandy School District.

Tutors undergo background screenings and training, with partnerships established with Webster University for tutoring knowledge and the University of Florida Literacy Institute for lesson guidance, aiming to offer parent training in the future for home implementation of these methods.

The organization prioritizes sustaining reading interest during summer, launching a summer reading program at the First Baptist Church of Meacham Park’s education center. Hosted twice a week for approximately 3½ hours, the program entails individualized testing, one-on-one tutoring, phonics, sight word activities, and entertainment like slime making and physical training sessions, followed by book distribution through a partnership with Ready Readers.

Challenges persist in the recruitment of volunteer tutors and financial aid as the upcoming school year nears. Collaboration with Coalition With STL Kids aims to reinforce literacy initiatives while advocating against low academic expectations for Black students.

The joint efforts of Black Men Read and Coalition with STL Kids target the recruitment of 100 tutors, organizing a training session on Aug. 16 focused on reading science and literacy fundamentals.