51风流

A national conversation about race and educational equity with author and Emmy award winner, Jeffrey Blount听

WHAT

On November 18, Reading Partners and its new CEO,听Adeola (Ola) Whitney, will host听.

The free, virtual event will examine the interplay between race and educational equity in America. Jeffrey, an accomplished author and Emmy award-winning director, will explore themes highlighted in his latest novel,听, such as the complexities of being “young, gifted, and Black” in America.

WHEN

Wednesday, November 18, 7:00 pm EST (4:00 pm PST)

HOW

WHY LITERACY MATTERS – ESPECIALLY NOW

In the United States, only 21 percent of students experiencing economic disadvantages are reading proficiently by the fourth grade. Students who read proficiently by fourth grade are significantly more likely to earn a high school diploma.

础听听from McKinsey and Company projected significant learning loss due to COVID-19-related school closures. McKinsey鈥檚 report anticipates that, in a scenario where school closures and part-time schedules continue intermittently through the 2020鈥�21 school year, and in-school instruction does not fully resume before January 2021, most students will lose an average of 7 months of learning due to COVID-19. The forecasted impact is over 12 months of learning loss for students experiencing economic disadvantages.

鈥淚鈥檓 honored to be part of Reading Partners鈥� virtual community event because it is an organization that believes in the empowerment of our youngest generation through education, and specifically literature,鈥� remarked Jeffrey Blount. 鈥淩eading Partners鈥� dedication to helping all students reach their awesome potential in school and beyond resonates with me personally as much as it would with Evan Walls, the central character of my book.鈥�

For anyone wanting to read听The Emancipation of Evan Walls听prior to the virtual event on November 18, copies can be ordered from independent bookstores such as听, and听, among other outlets.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Julia Strasdauskas
Managing Director, Collins + Co. (PR partner for Reading Partners)
443.299.7751
julia@collins-company.com

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About Reading Partners

For over听20 years, Reading Partners has empowered students to succeed in reading and in life by engaging community volunteers to provide one-on-one tutoring. Since its founding, the national nonprofit organization has mobilized nearly 70,000 community volunteers to provide听, individualized literacy tutoring to more than 65,000 elementary school students in nearly 450 under-resourced schools across ten states and the District of Columbia. Visit听to learn more about our听program impact, or connect with us on,听,, and听.