MLK Day 2019: Celebrate the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Reading to Young People

United Way’s Celebrity Read Program Gears up for its 30th year

On Monday, communities will gather to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Throughout the Tri-State area, there are a variety of events and attractions that will commemorate the civil rights icon with special programming.

Dr. King was a tireless activist who deeply valued the meaningful change that committed individuals can make when working toward the greater good. The proof is in his fearless and responsible activism, a precedent still championed and felt today.

As we recognize Dr. King’s life and work today, let’s not forget how relevant his words are with regards to his stance on the topics of community service and education. In his short essay, “The Purpose of Education,” Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote of the importance of education in our communities, if not for the goal of intelligence than for the goal of social living. The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically,” he wrote. “Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education”.

When It comes to commitment of service to others, I am inspired by the following quote, “Everyone can be great because everyone can serve" . "I’d like people to mention that Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others. I’d them to say that Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to love somebody”.

Because we are on the cusp of the MLK commemoration, United Way of Essex & West Hudson (UWEWH) is encouraging everyone to become a literacy advocate in their communities by helping to shine a spotlight on children’s literacy, by spreading awareness, and by inspiring action. These can be achieved by volunteering for the organization's annual "Celebrity Read" program. 

The Celebrity Read program is a longstanding literacy initiative of UWEWH that was created in 1990 and designated a “Local Legacy” by the Library of Congress in 2001. The primary goal of the program is to recruit volunteers to model their love for reading to students from pre-k to 4th grade elementary classrooms within a number of participating schools throughout the organization's footprint. Celebrity Readers are anyone who volunteers their time to share their accomplishments with area youth, including members of the business community, government employees, musicians, athletes and actors. 

The Readers not only read to students, they also share their own life experiences to instill in in them a sense of pride and hope for the future, emphasizing the importance of education and reading in particular. In 2018, over 600 volunteers were able to read to close to 10,000 students in 500 classrooms across 4 New Jersey school districts. The Celebrity read program is so crucial because there is a significant literacy crisis in America today. Many recognize there are issues around literacy, but do not see it as the massive, systemic and generational problem that plagues our society. Close to 93 million adults in the U.S. read at or below the basic level needed to contribute successfully in society. Approximately 65% of 4th graders read below grade level, contributing to 8,000 students dropping out of high school every day, and 43% percent of American adults are functionally illiterate.

United Way believes that every child deserves an opportunity to learn how to read and obtain the fundamental building blocks to achieve their highest potential. Reading is critical to all of life’s essential skills. Reading with a child is an important part of developing reading skills. Reading a book aloud, taking turns reading, acting out a book, and discussing a book are all critical elements to engage a child in the reading process. Reading together starts children on a path to obtain the necessary reading skills to become proficient, interested, and hopefully lifelong readers.

In the divine spirit of Dr. King, United Way of Essex & West Hudson is encouraging all those who are able to volunteer their time to become a Celebrity Reader. The Celebrity Read program will be coordinated throughout the month of February, which also happens to be Black History Month. The program officially begins on February 1, 2019 and ends on February 28, 2019. Interested groups and individuals can become Celebrity readers by registering through the Celebrity Read web page and select a participating school of their choice at the following link: https://uwewh.org/celebrityread/

As a highly educated man himself, Dr. King stressed the importance of better schools and access to resources for teachers and students. Unfortunately, education on every level is still limited for African Americans, whether because of financial reasons, school quality, or lack of support to pursue higher education.

By becoming a Celebrity Reader during Black History Month, you too can embrace the ideals of Dr. King by becoming a vocal advocate for the cause, encouraging students and their communities to embrace this step towards a just future.

For more information about United Way’s Celebrity read program, please contact Yusef Ismail, Director of Programs at [email protected].