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| Let's READ. November, 2007 |
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| Reading Programs. |
The future of Reading is here.
Increase your Reading Skills and Command your Destiny
What can you do to counteract the myth of black intellectual inferiority?
Well, one thing you can do is… READ. Read about the current scientific debate over race and intelligence. Read about the shameful practices of “scientific racism” and eugenics. Read about how blacks were legally classified as sub-human (thus, inferior to whites) in the Dred Scott decision and how that decision led to the Civil War. Read about successful African-Americans that rose to greatness despite racial prejudice.
Actually, reading in and of itself, is a proactive measure against the ingrained notions of black inferiority. Reading expands the mind and brings enlightenment. Reading opens a person’s world to new concepts and ideas. Reading is the sharing of human thought that transcends time and space. Reading allows a person to live a better life.
So what you read is not as important as the act of reading itself. If you know someone that has trouble reading, help is available. Check out the resources listed below:
The Center is starting a reading comprehension program based on African-American history in the Williamsport. The concept is the brainchild of Dr. Harry Lewis and Dr. Mamie Diggs, our local Underground Railroad expert. The program is designed to increase reading speed and comprehension. For more information contact: the Center at 322-5515.
The Learning Center is ready to help those who have a very difficult time reading. Their website says, “Services are free and include: one-on-one tutoring, small group studies, math and writing assistance, a comprehensive computer lab, Family Literacy programs, English as a second language and Workplace skills programs.” For more information contact the Learning Center at 321-0200.
Dr. Betty McCall of Lycoming College is also looking to start a Reading Club based the book “Code of the Street”, by Elijah Anderson. Professor Anderson, who teaches at Yale University, is expected to give a lecture at Lycoming College in September 2008. Dr. McCall wants to welcome Anderson to Williamsport by packing the audience with residents familiar with Anderson’s work. For more information contact: Lycoming College at 321-4000.
And for those of you that think that reading a book is old-fashioned, check out the future: the Kindle by Amazon.com. It’s an electronic book! It features a new “electronic paper” display screen that looks like the printed page. It can hold 200 book titles and there are over 80,000 books currently available. You can also read magazines and newspapers on it. Costs $400.00. (A nice Christmas gift for that voracious reader in the family.) For more information visit the website at: www.amazon.com.
The National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) released a new analysis of reading patterns in the United States on November 19, 2007. The report, “To Read or Not Read: A Question of national consequence", reveals recent declines in voluntary reading and test scores alike, exposing trends that have severe consequences for American society.
The report gathered statistics from over 40 different studies of the reading habits of children, teenagers and adults. The declines in reading have civic, social, and economic implications. Advanced readers accrue personal, professional, and social advantages. Deficient readers may fail at achieving worthwhile lifetime goals. The report found that:
- Nearly two-thirds of employers ranked reading comprehension "very important" for high school graduates. Yet 38 percent consider most high school graduates deficient in this basic skill.
- American 15-year-olds ranked fifteenth in average reading scores for 31 industrialized nations, behind Poland, Korea, France, and Canada, among others.
- Literary readers are more likely than non-readers to engage in positive civic and individual activities – such as volunteering, attending sports or cultural events, and exercising.
You can download the report at: http://www.nea.gov/research/ToRead.pdf
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