How are you using your literacy tool?

Hello DLC community!

This is Yashna, visiting guest blogger, and DLC fan for life. First- I want to say that no one at DLC got me to write this. This post is a surprise to them too! I am moved to write about all this on my own.

My work with DLC has created a deep belief and passion for the importance of literacy education. Since I left DLC a year ago I have been searching for answers or truths to many things and so far this year, where ever I go (18 cities and towns in the U.S. and 2 in India), what ever I do-  the importance of literacy is a repeated life lesson- along with the importance of love (but that is a topic for another time).

Currently I am working towards building with hundreds and eventually thousands of other people towards the United States Social Forum in June 2010. I have been doing some reading and research in preparation for this because I am a bit nervous as to what strength and knowledge it would take from me and I want to be prepared. I have conjured up courage in part because of the inspiration of the everyday commitment students make by showing up to DLC.

I am writing today, not to talk about the amazing courage of AL, ESOL and TCA students, but to share an exert from some of my reading and research that has reminded me about the importance of literacy. I hope you enjoy this quote and that it helps you stay refreshed in your commitment as a student, tutor, staff or board member. What you do is important. Very very important. Thank you for helping to create a new world.

Grace and Jimmy

This quote is by Grace Lee Boggs reflecting on her husband, Jimmy Boggs, and his passion and skill for writing and how it contributed to his work as an activist and organizer-

“I never ceased to envy and marvel at the fluency with which Jimmy wrote and the speed with which his pen would travel from the left side of the page to the right. When he came home from work, he would lie down on his stomach on the living room floor with a yellow pad and start writing. He would wake up mornings and dash off letters to the editor before breakfast. In the course of a meeting he would start writing and by the end of the meeting he would be ready with a draft of a leaflet or letter. When he was asked where he acquired these skills, he would say that it came from writing letters for the mostly illiterate people in the little town where he grew up. Like other blacks who developed into writers, he began as the community scribe. Just as his childhood writing served his community, every speech he made, every article he wrote as an adult came out of his experiences in the on-going struggle and was produced in order to advance the struggle. His passion for writing, I am convinced, played an important role is his development as a leader and a revolutionary theoretician. Blacks emphasize the importance of the oral tradition in African and African-American history, and rightly so. But the continuing review revision, and self-criticism that are necessary to the development of ideas depend on a written script.”
- Grace Lee Boggs Living for Change

There is so much fodder in this dense paragraph that reflects the importance of literacy! Jimmy, through the tool of literacy, was able to support his community from a young age. That support then developed, as his skills developed, into being the written voice of the people! What a gift!

Today functional literacy is defined in simple terms of reading and writing your name and some basic information. This is how some countries can say they have 99% literacy rates- when in truth- a 1993 investigation revealed that 40 to 44 million Americans had only the most basic (which means below a 2nd grade level) reading and writing skills (Kirsch, Jungeblut, Jenkins, & Kolstad, 1993).

in my opinion- this is an inaccurate reflection due to the outrageous definition of literacy world-wide

True functional literacy is about not only decoding and encoding the words around you-
but the world around you!

Literacy is not inherit within us- it is a privilege that some of us had access to early on. How can we now share the gifts of our privilege? Being literate is not a given.

This is what I got out of this quote-

1- It reminded me about the importance of literacy- what it can do to change and enhance the life of an individual and the life of a community.

2- It gave me pause to gives thanks to the privilege I have of being able to read, write and speak English fluently. I gave thanks that not only did I gain this tool but have had a chance to develop it, and use it as I am doing right now.

3- Reminded me that literacy is a tool for change. Literacy is by no means a sign of intelligence- but it is a tool in our tool box. What are you doing with your literacy tool?

I hope you share some of my reflections and ponder on your own about this quote. Feel free to leave comments here on this blog about your thoughts!

If you are already involved with DLC- again, I hope this refreshes your commitment. Also, I give thanks for your involvement- whether a student, tutor, social worker, volunteer, staff, or board- thank you. What you do is very important. You are creating a new world!

If you are not involved in DLC and want to use the privilege of your literacy tool for change, there are many ways you can do this such as volunteer or read the wish list and see what you could donate to support our brave students.

Hello All!

I want to take some time to introduce myself. My name is Pushti and I officially began my service at the DLC through AmeriCorps this past week. I recently graduated from University of NC at Charlotte with a BS in Biology and Psychology. I plan on continuing my education with Masters in Psychology; however I wanted to take a year off to serve. The Durham Literacy Center is a perfect match, and I am very delighted to be here. So far the experience has been nothing, but positive. I am very grateful to be working with people that are nice, caring, and passionate. Lastly, I want to thank Lark for all her help. I know that I have big shoes to fill, but I am ready to take on the Challenge. I am very ecstatic about joining the DLC and looking working to a wonderful year head

Pushti

Jermaie Harden – Olympic winner!

Jermaie Harden won four medals in Powerlifting at the Special Olympics North Carolina Summer Games. He won gold medals in the bench press, deadlift, and triple combination competitions and a silver medal in the squat competition. Congratulations, Jermaie!

Literacy: just words?

Hi friends! This is Yashna, visiting guest blogger, and DLC fan for life. 

I got inspired to blog here today because a a blogger friend of mine told me about this very interesting blog called Capitol Words. 

This is from their About page:

“For every day Congress is in session, Capitol Words visualizes the most frequently used words in the Congressional Record, giving you an at-a-glance view of which issues lawmakers address on a daily, weekly, monthly and yearly basis. Capitol Words lets you see what are the most popular words spoken by lawmakers on the House and Senate floor.” 

So, I searched for some of the words I care most about. I searched for farmworkers for my new job at the National Farm Worker Ministry (we support farmworkers as they organize for justice).  And of course, I searched for ABE, literacy, GED, ESOL and ESL. You can search for only one word at a time so I couldn’t type in “adult literacy”. 

These movements that I care so much about, just boiled down to a few words in Congress, proves to be not so important to our leaders. Over the last two years these words were mentioned: 

ABE 46 times nationally (0 times in NC)
Literacy 405 times  (12 in NC)
GED 24 times (0 in NC)
ESOL 7 times (0 in NC)
ESL  13 times (0 in NC)

as compared to: 

Oil 8442 times

I believe this is an accurate reflection of how our congress views the importance of Literacy Education. So how do we change this? How do we bring not just the words, but the movement of Literacy Education to our chosen leaders? I am not sure of the answer. If you have any ideas, please share them here. 

Thanks again for doing the great work you do. To me, your effort is more then just words.

Veleda’s Speech

Here is a video of the inspiring speech Veleda T. gave at the DLC’s 2008 Leaders in Literacy breakfast, which was held at the Washington Duke Inn.

Student and Tutor Perspective

Listen to these inspiring stories from Literacy Volunteers of Rensselaer County NY:

Student’s Story:

Tutor’s Story:

Gladys’s Essay on Harriet Tubman

Emmett’s speech at the RBC Center (April 2008)

Emmett Jackson, DLC adult literacy student and advocate, was the guest speaker at the Triangle United Way (TUW) annual awards event at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC in April 2008. The event honored companies who helped support the TUW’s annual campaign. Mr. Jackson received a standing ovation from the audience of more than 300 people. Read more about Mr. Jackson here.

Our students on NPR!!!

Lucy & Kiasha

Two dedicated DLC students, Lucy and Kiasha Collins shared their inspiring stories on the nationally syndicated radio show, The Story. Kiasha enrolled in the DLC’s Adult Literacy program over a year ago and then encouraged her grandmother, Lucy to join as well. The Story is hosted by Dick Gordon and produced by NC Public Radio.  Listen to their story here!

Thank You!

The DLC program staff, tutors, and students would like to extend a huge thanks to the DLC’s Executive Director, Reggie Hodges, and the DLC Board of Directors for the countless hours they have spent sustaining this wonderful community over the years. Every new phoneme learned, book read, citizenship test passed, vote cast, parent-teacher meeting attended, and job promotion earned is a victory based in no small part on your work. Please know that we are truly grateful for all of the work that goes on behind the scenes to empower individuals, families, and communities through literacy. We wish that we could share every victory with you directly so that you could feel the daily impact of your efforts as we do. It really is amazing!

The DLC Board Members are Susan Springer and Ann Gale (Co-Presidents), Trina Allen, Mary Ellen Walkama, Rob Matheson, Mary Clayton, Lizzie Ellis-Furlong, Arnold Dennis, Alexandra Dupont, Gail Faulkner Hudson, Elizabeth Feifs, Brian Schneiderman, Sy Mauskopf, Monika Winchester, Jonathan Blitz, Mary Cay Corr, Jennifer Lohmann, Teddy Brown, Julia Fairley, Hubie Mercado, Leslie Wilson, Audrey Boykin, LeRoy Walker, Jr., Ed Wolf, Boris Hartl, Peggy Hardy, Cindy Cho, and Kim Mayo. Ex Officio Members members include Dale Stouch, Janet Hill, and John Hope Franklin.