Forever Free: A True Story of Hope in the Fight for Child Literacy

The story behind Freedom Readers, an after-school and summer literacy program in South Carolina that works with students in low-income communities, is told in this inspirational account. Program founder Bailey describes her own love affair with books as a child, and her desire to bring “the magic of reading” to children who have been “pushed to the margins and viewed with suspicion by overworked, under-resourced teachers who have only a shallow understanding of what it means to be Black.” Bailey also delves into the historical roots of segregation and discrimination in the American education system, details the value civil rights pioneers and Black scholars including Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. Du Bois placed on reading, and charts the gap in average reading scores and other measures of academic success between white students and students of color. The pedagogy behind Freedom Readers, which offers one-on-one literacy tutoring and free books for children to take home, is examined, as are Bailey’s efforts to solicit government funding and private donations, and the impact of Covid-19 shutdowns on the program. Bailey doesn’t hold back in criticizing systemic inequalities in public schools and society at large, but her optimism shines through. Educators, parents, and school administrators will want to take a look. (Aug.)