(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is one of a periodic series of blog posts designed to shine light on the problem of illiteracy in our schools. We hope you will be moved enough to want to be part of the solution, either through donating your time and skills or through financial support to Coaching for Literacy or any of the groups listed at the bottom.)
I met Bruce Hornsby in 1986 through his song The Way it is. I met him in person in 2012 in Hampton, Va., when we were both there watching the Nike EYBL tournament. I introduced myself and let him know that the lyrics to his song had a profound impact on me.
Said, hey little boy you can't go where the others go
'Cause you don't look like they do
Said, hey old man how can you stand
To think that way
Did you really think about it
Before you made the rules?
He said, "son
That's just the way it is
Some things will never change
That's just the way it is
Ah, but don't you believe them"
Oh yeah
Well, they passed a law in '64
To give those who ain't got a little more
But it only goes so far
Because the law don't change another's mind
When all it sees at the hiring time
Is the line on the color bar, no, no
That's just the way it is
And some things will never change
That's just the way it is
That's just the way it is, it is, it is, it is
Poverty in America is stubborn; it refuses to go away for so many. If you are born in poverty in America, you have on average an eight percent chance of escaping it. How can this be after so many years of fighting the war on poverty? I believe it is time we don't accept "that's just the way it is!"
It’s time to explore the root causes. It’s time to create change.
The death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has spurred nation-wide demonstrations that express frustrations with police treatment toward African-Americans. But the core issues go much deeper.
Five areas are worthy of our attention:
** Housing: Matthew Desmond’s book Evicted looks at the issue of poverty being profitable for some. Click the link for a review of Desmond’s book by Rev. Chase Daws. And find this book online or at your local bookstore.
** Healthcare: What happens when quality health care – both physical and mental health – isn’t within reach? This article by The Commonwealth Fund shares study findings and highlights examples of health systems addressing implicit bias and structural racism and using custom approaches to engage and support their patients.
** Economic Opportunities: Much depends on early funding. This report from the Joint Economic Committee examines recent economic progress and inequities facing the Black community in America.
** Criminal Justice: The Equal Justice Initiative believes that it’s time to end mass incarceration in this country. This organization founded by Bryan Stevenson in 1989 is challenging racial and economic injustices and protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable in America.
Those are four. But we said five. And to those of us devoted to finding ways to bring dignity and the potential for opportunity to those born in the wrong zip codes, the fifth will always be the first: EDUCATION.
If we can find ways to increase reading levels, all students do better in the classroom. When students have the opportunity to move through the educational system on a level field, their chances to graduate high school and college grow exponentially. When they graduate, their chances for gainful employment and their ability to support their family grow too.
If a young man or woman has a job because they were able to achieve educationally, then they have economic opportunity, healthcare options, access to affordable housing, and plenty of reasons to avoid the criminal justice arena.
For a succinct and telling statement, we turn to Dr. David Rudd, president of the University of Memphis. “Education is related to any inequality.”
If a child in poverty graduates from college, there is a 95 percent certainty that they and their progeny will never again live in poverty.
How can we guarantee a child from a poverty background graduates from college? Let’s start from the beginning. That’s the goal of Coaching for Literacy. We define the start as the end of third grade. A student unable to read at grade level at that point falls farther behind with each passing grade until there’s no longer a point to trying to achieve a degree.
We want to help. We want YOUR help. And there are plenty of organizations with the same goals that would love to have you volunteer your time and skills or your financial backing. If you are moved to act, please reach out.
Remember Hornsby’s lyric "Some things will never change, that's just the way it is"?
At Coaching for Literacy, that will never be good enough.
We can make a difference. If you want to help, here’s how:
Donate Today:
Coaching for Literacy uses the power of sport to raise awareness about the issues stemming from illiteracy and donates funds in support of literacy for students in grades K-3.
Volunteer to be a Tutor or Mentor (Memphis):
Literacy Mid-South: it takes the work of our community to achieve our mission to provide literacy resources to learners of all backgrounds and ages.
STREETS Ministries: become a STREETS Smart volunteer and share the love of books once a week with an eager second grader.
ARISE2Read: takes an active role in the development of children in our public schools through the presence of volunteers focused on literacy.
JIFF (Juvenile Intervention & Faith-Based Follow-Up): breaking the destructive cycle of juvenile crime through Christ-centered interventions.
Advance Memphis: empower adults in South Memphis to break cycles of unemployment, establish economic stability, reconcile relationships, and restore dignity through knowledge, resources, and skills by the power of Jesus Christ.
Contact Shelby County Schools or an elementary school in your neighborhood.
Not in Memphis? Find a worthy organization to volunteer your time and talents by searching VolunteerMatch or All for Good.
***
John Wilfong has been the chairman of Coaching for Literacy since our founding. A University of Memphis basketball player and standout at Briarcrest Christian School, Wilfong is a graduate of The University of Memphis and a recipient of an MBA Degree from The University of Memphis School of Business. John is a lifelong Memphis resident, married to Catherine Wilfong and has three children: Jonathan, Bennett and Luke. John is involved in philanthropy through multiple avenues including Streets Ministries and Third Millennium Ministries. Want to get in contact with John? Click here.
Interested in more stories like these? Be sure to subscribe or follow us on social media (links below).
