PARIS: WELCOME BACK TO WGBH NEWS ROOTED.

NATIONALLY AND IN MASSACHUSETTS WE ARE SEEING A CONCERNING DECLINE IN BLACK LITERACY RATES.

TONIGHT WE ARE GETTING INTO THE SOLUTIONS WITH TWO EDUCATORS WHO ARE MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE.

THEY BOTH ARE GROVE STREET BLACK TEACHER FELLOWS USING THEIR OWN JOURNEYS AS WRITERS TO INSPIRE A NEW GENERATION.

THEY ARE HERE TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY ARE HELPING BLACK CHILDREN FIND JOY IN READING AND WRITING, AND HOW THEY ARE ADAPTING TO A CHANGING YOUTH MEDIA LANDSCAPE TO KEEP STUDENTS ENGAGED.

WE WILL ALSO EXPLORE THEIR PERSONAL STORIES AND WHAT DRIVES THEIR PASSION FOR THIS CRITICAL WORK.

SO THANK YOU BOTH SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

>> THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, PARIS.

PARIS: IT IS A PLEASURE ON MY END.

I WANT TO START WITH A STATISTIC.

ACCORDING TO A REPORT BY COMMONWEALTH BOSTON, IN A 2024 ONLY 20% OF BLACK THIRD-GRADERS WORK AT LEVEL, COMPARED TO 60% OF WHITE STUDENTS.

BASED ON YOUR EXPERIENCE, WHAT IS CONTRIBUTING TO THE STARK DIFFERENCE?

>> MAY BE WE ARE SPENDING MORE TIME ONLINE THAN IN OUR BOOKS, NO MATTER WHAT EFFORTS THE SCHOOLS AND ADMINISTRATIONS AND PARENTS ARE DOING.

THE POLE OF THE DIGITAL WORLD -- PULL OF THE DIGITAL WORLD IS VERY HARD.

PARIS: DO YOU THINK THAT EXCLUSIVELY EXPLAINS THESE DISCREPANCIES?

JONATHAN: I WOULD THINK IT IS SYSTEMATIC RACISM.

PARIS: YEAH, BECAUSE IN THAT SAME REPORT CARD, AT LEAST FOR MASSACHUSETTS, ONLY 27% OF THIRD-GRADERS WERE AT GRADE LEVEL, BUT THAT WAS COMPARED TO 60% OF THEIR WHITE PEERS.

JONATHAN: IT IS A DISCOURAGING FIGURE.

WE HAVE TO THINK OF WAYS TO INTERVENE.

THING AS FAR AS SPEAKING ABOUT ONLINE COMEDY DEVICES PLAY A PART.

WHEN I THINK OF LITERACY, I THINK OF READING AND WRITING.

I TEACH A LOT OF WRITING.

ONE EXAMPLE, END OF THIS IS A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL -- AND THIS IS A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, THEY WERE ALL STUDENTS OF COLOR, AND MANY OF THEM WERE ON DEVICES.

WHEN I WENT TO THIS OTHER HIGH SCHOOL, HIGH END, AN ALL-WHITE CLASSROOM, THERE WAS A THING ON THE WALL WHERE STUDENTS HAD TO PUT THEIR DEVICES AWAY.

SO THERE IS THIS EXPECTATION THAT THEY PUT THEIR DEVICES AWAY, WHEREAS THIS OTHER CLASSROOM, THERE WAS NOT THAT EXPECTATION.

I FOUND IT FRUSTRATING CAN THE TEACHING WHERE A LOT OF STUDENTS WERE ON THEIR DEVICES.

I WAS A GUEST, SO I WAS NOT LIKE, HEY, PUT THAT PHONE AWAY, I DID NOT WANT TO BE THAT GUY, BUT IT WAS INTERESTING.

THE ABILITY TO SELF FOCUS IS HUGE.

PARIS: WHAT IS IT EXACTLY ABOUT THE DEVICES THAT THEN LEADS TO STUDENTS HAVING LOWER LEVELS OF READING AND WRITING PROFICIENCY?

TONI: FREEDOM, JUST FREEDOM.

WE SPEAK ABOUT RACISM, I DON’T EVEN KNOW IF SO MANY KIDS ARE AWARE OF IT, JUST BECAUSE OF THE FREEDOM THAT THE DIGITAL WORLD ALLOWS.

THEY CAN GO ANYWHERE, CREATE THEIR OWN PODCAST, EVEN MONEY, MONEY IS CREATED ONLINE.

THIS LEVEL OF FREEDOM, THE ABILITY TO SPEAK ON THEIR OWN AND SAY WHATEVER THEY WANT TO SAY AROUND THE WORLD, AND GET A WORLDWIDE RESPONSE, I THINK IT PULLS US AWAY FROM THE TOUGHER TASKS OF READING.

SO SINCE RACISM IS SO PREVALENT, MAY IN WAYS WE CAN’T SEE, THEN THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU WILL SEE THE DIFFERENCES IN THE CLASSROOM WHERE THERE IS ONE REQUIREMENT AND ONE SITUATION WITH THE FOLKS WHO LOOK A CERTAIN WAY, AND NOT WITH THE NEXT, AND WHY IS THAT?

NOT SURE.

PARIS: OF COURSE THERE ARE SOCIAL ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT COME INTO PLAY AS WELL.

TONI: ABSOLUTELY.

PARIS: WE KNOW INCREASINGLY PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING TO BUY GROCERIES, TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES.

SOME PARENTS ARE WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS.

SOME PARENTS ARE THE ONLY PARENT IN THE HOUSEHOLD.

THAT CAN MAKE IT HARDER FOR A STUDENT TO GET READING HELP AT HOME.

IT COULD ALSO BE THEY ARE COMING TO SCHOOL HUNGRY AND CAN’T FOCUS.

OR MAYBE THEY ARE LEARNING ENGLISH AND AT THE SAME TIME BEING TAUGHT HOW TO READ, AND IT CAN ALL GET LOST WHEN THAT SOCIAL SAFETY NET ISN’T PRESENT.

WHERE DOES THE RESPONSIBILITY LIE?

AS LONG AS THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN AROUND, THAT’S BEEN THE PLACE WHERE THE READING SHOULD HAPPEN, BUT WE KNOW THAT AT HOME A LOT OF TIMES THAT IS WHERE DEVICES ARE BEING PROVIDED AND CONSUMED.

JONATHAN: TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE ROLE OF DEVICES, IT’S SO DISTRACTING.

IF IT IS IN THE CLASSROOM, I DON’T THINK IT SHOULD EVEN BE THERE.

IF AS A TEACHER I AM INSTRUCTING SOMETHING AND YOU ARE DISTRACTED, THAT SHOULD BE COMPLETELY OFF THE TABLE.

AS FAR AS THE RESPONSIBILITY, THE ABILITY OF THE YOUNG PERSON TO SELL FOCUS -- SELF FOCUS, BUT THE SUPPORT FROM THE CARING ADULT TO INTERVENE, TO WORK ONE-ON-ONE WITH STUDENTS.

I TEACH A LOT OF CLASSES.

I AM TEACHING KIDS HOW TO BOTH WRITE AND DRAW COMICS, BUT A LOT OF IT IS WRITING.

I TRY TO KEEP MY CLASSES SMALL SO I CAN FOCUS ONE-ON-ONE WITH THE STUDENTS, AND IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

I TAUGHT LAST WEEK AT A CAMP THAT WAS FIVE STUDENTS, AND I WAS TEACHING THEM COMICS JOURNALISM USING THE MEDIUM OF COMICS TO TELL TRUE STORIES.

IDEALLY, EACH KID GETS TO HAVE THEIR OWN TOPIC.

IT IS VERY LABOR-INTENSIVE.

SOME OF THE OLDER STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO GO ON THEIR OWN, BUT TWO IN PARTICULAR I THINK HAD ADHD.

I KNEW I HAD TO SIT DOWN, AND ONCE I SAT DOWN WITH THEM, THEY GOT IT, AND IT WAS A REWARDING EXPERIENCE.

IF WE AS A SOCIETY CAN RAISE THE FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE CLASS SIZES SO THAT EDUCATORS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS CAN WORK ONE-ON-ONE, SOMETIMES IT IS ONE OR TWO NUANCES THAT MAKES THE KID GO "AHA!"

THE ABILITY FOR THE KIDS TO SELF FOCUS, BUT THE SUPPORT FROM A CARING ADULT IS CRUCIAL FOR RAISING LITERACY RATES SO THAT ALL KIDS CAN ACHIEVE THE SAME WHITE.

PARIS: WHO -- THE SAME WAY.

PARIS: WHO WERE THOSE CARING ADULTS IN YOUR LIFE THAT MADE READING AND WRITING FUN AND ACCESSIBLE FOR YOU?

TONI: GREAT QUESTION.

MY DAD.

MY DAD, HE JUST LOVED THE WORD.

HE GOT HIS EDUCATION, AND HE LEARNED LATIN IN SCHOOL.

WHENEVER WE HAD A WORD TO LOOK UP, HE SAID WHEN THERE IS A WORD WITHIN THE DEFINITION THAT YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND, LOOK IT UP AGAIN.

PARIS: FUN DICTIONARY GAME.

TONI: THE START OF THE DICTIONARY GAMES.

IT JUST KIND OF EXPANDED AND MADE ME LOVE WORDS.

MY MOTHER WAS A SCHOOLTEACHER, SO BOTH OF THOSE PIECES.

YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, WHO SUPPORTS THESE YOUNG BLACK PEOPLE, BLACK AND BROWN CHILDREN WHO GO HOME AND MAY NOT HAVE THE SUPPORT?

IT COULD JUST TAKE ONE PERSON WHO LOVES THE WORD AND SHARES IT WITH YOU.

THERE’S AUNTS, UNCLES, FOLKS WHO JUST SIT DOWN REALLY QUICK AND READ WITH YOU AND THEY MAKE THE WORDS COME ALIVE.

A LOT OF TIMES ARE CHILDREN ARE DEPENDENT ON THOSE OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WON’T HURT THEM AND WILL SHARE LITERACY WITH THEM, IN A FUN WAY.

PARIS: OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM, THERE IS SO LITTLE CONTROL EDUCATORS HAVE AROUND WHAT GOES ON IN PEOPLE’S HOMES.

WHAT SUPPORT DO YOU OFFER THROUGH GROVE STREET AND THE FELLOWSHIP AND OTHER WORK YOU DO TO EQUIP FAMILIES TO SUPPORT LITERACY FOR THEIR CHILDREN?

TONI: CURRENTLY I AM INVOLVED IN A YOUTH CENTER IN CAMBRIDGE.

IT’S WONDERFUL.

THEY ARE LIKE, CAN YOU BRING POETRY?

A LOT OF THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS, THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, THAT IS WHERE THE IMPORTANCE COMES.

I FIND MYSELF REACHING OUT AND SHOWING UP WHERE TEENS ARE.

JUST BOOKISH, THEY DO SO MUCH IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE.

WHAT PORSCIA DID TO INVITE PEOPLE INTO THE SPACE, IT’S JUST WONDERFUL.

AT GROVE STREET, THEY HAVE AN ENTIRE TEAM SUMMER PROGRAM, AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THEY SUPPORT THE TEENS, HOPE TO GET INVOLVED WITH THEM MORE SO.

EN MASSE POETRY?

THEY HAD AN ENTIRE CELEBRATION IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.

WHAT WE HAVE TO FIND, WHAT OUR CHOICE IS AS ADULTS IS TO GO AND FIND THE TEENS.

THERE ARE MANY PROGRAMS THAT NEED CREATIVE WRITING AND ALSO POETRY, WHICH GOES BACK TO WHAT DO THEY LIKE AND WHAT INSPIRES THEM?

SOMETIMES THE ONUS IS UPON THE ADULTS TO SOMETIMES VOLUNTEER AND TAKE THAT TIME TO SAY, WELL, WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO READ?

IN TERMS OF CREATIVE WRITING, SPARK THAT SPECIFICALLY.

DID I MENTION THE SPARK HEART TRUCK?

ANOTHER PIECE THAT MASS ART IS DOING, SHE HAS A SPARK ART TRUCK FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

THE FACT THAT SHE TAKES THE TIME TO GO TO LIBRARIES PARTICULARLY AND COMMUNITIES OF COLOR WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE CAN ENGAGE WITH ART, BUT WORDS TOO.

WONDERFUL.

THAT IS HOW YOU DO IT ONE-ON-ONE, ENGAGE THE YOUNG FOLKS.

PARIS: IS THERE A STORY THAT STICKS OUT IN YOUR MIND OF WHEN A STUDENT REALLY FOUND THAT SPARK THROUGH ANY OF THOSE ACTIVITIES?

TONI: I USED IT TO BE A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER, AND THERE WAS A NAUGHTY CHILD, RIGHT?

[LAUGHTER] NAUGHTY KIDS, THEY NEED CONCENTRATION, LIKE YOU WERE SAYING.

THEY SAID, CAN SHE BE WITH YOU?

SHE’S A GREAT POET.

I SAID I WANT TO HEAR MORE.

HER FACE CHANGED.

HER FACE CHANGED.

THIS WAS IN EIGHTH GRADE.

IT’S FIVE YEARS LATER.

I FIND THAT, YOU CONNECT WITH THEM, YOU HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.

SHE WAS DOING RAP.

I WAS WITH IT, HEY, ABOUT THOSE NAUGHTY WORDS -- [LAUGHTER] PARIS: IT IS A FORM OF POETRY.

TONI: YEAH, AND I SAW HER EXPAND AND TAKE A HOLD OF PUBLIC PERFORMANCE.

YOU CAN CREATE THESE BLACK -- IF WE CAN CREATE OR INSPIRE THEM TO BE PUBLIC SPEAKERS AND WRITERS, THESE BLACK AND BROWN KIDS, I’VE SEEN IT HAPPEN.

PARIS: HOW IMPORTANT IS IT FOR THERE TO BE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE MATERIAL?

HOW DOES THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF A LEARNING CHILD?

JONATHAN: WHEN I THINK OF CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, THAT COULD MEAN MANY THINGS DEPENDING ON THE COMMUNITY.

THAT IS THE BASIC OF CONNECTING WITH SOMEONE IN GENERAL, JUST BEING OPEN TO WHERE THEY ARE COMING FROM, THEIR POINT OF VIEW.

ONE SCHOOL I WAS IN, A STUDENT CAME LATE TO THE CLASS I WAS GIVING.

HE WAS LIKE HEY, BLAH BLAH BLAH.

IF I WAS IN A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT, I WOULD NOT THINK ABOUT IT, THIS IS JUST HOW THEY ARE COMMUNICATING, SO ROLLING WITH IT, BUT THAT PERSON ENDED UP BEING THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR TO THE CLASS DISCUSSION.

IT’S JUST TAKING PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AND SHARING WHAT YOU HAVE TO SHARE AND BEING YOURSELF.

IF THEY HAVE ADHD, KNOWING THAT YOU HAVE TO SIT DOWN, AND MAYBE IT’S NOT GOING TO LOOK LIKE WHAT YOU HAD ENVISIONED, BUT IF YOU JUST TAKE TIME OUT AND LOOK CLOSELY AT WHAT THEY ARE SAYING THROUGH THEIR WORK, I MEAN PEOPLE ARE BRILLIANT.

IT MIGHT LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

I THINK IT IS BEING THOUGHTFUL AND TAKING TIME AND CARING, IT JUST GOES A LONG WAY.

PARIS: IN YOUR EXPERIENCE -- I THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE SHARING ABOUT THIS YOUNG WOMAN AND HER POETRY.

IF YOU GAVE ANY OF THESE KIDS THE LYRICS TO THEIR FAVORITE SONG, RIGHT, AND HAD THEM FOLLOW ALONG, I WONDER IF THAT WOULD BE ONE WAY TO SHOW THEM, YEAH, THE PERSON YOU ADMIRE WHO CREATED THIS PIECE OF WORK HAD TO START SOMEWHERE WRITING SOMETHING DOWN, OR MATCHING THE WORDS IN A RHYTHMIC WAY.

TONI: HIP-HOP CULTURE IS STILL HERE AND THRIVING.

BUT THE WORDS!

SOMETHING I CHALLENGE YOUNG PEOPLE -- AND I’M NOT SURE IF WE COULD DO THIS BECAUSE OF THE INTENSITY OF THE WORDS, BUT I THOUGHT OF A LESSON PLAN.

I SAID, TAKE YOUR FAVORITE SONG, TAKE THE SWEARWORDS OUT AND PUT SOMETHING ELSE IN IT.

JONATHAN: THAT IS A GREAT PROMPT.

TONI: WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO TAKE WHAT HAS BEEN PACKAGED FOR US AND BEGIN TO HAVE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE AREN’T THAT.

I KEEP THINKING WE COME IN AT SO MANY INTERSECTIONS, WE ARE NOT JUST IN THE BRICKS PLAYING BASKETBALL.

WE LIVE IN HYDE PARK IN MILLION DOLLAR PLUS HOMES AND GO TO TUTORING AND PLAY BASKETBALL.

AND WE MAY BE TRANS.

THERE ARE OUR GENDER, OUR LIKES AND DISLIKES, WE HAVE A WHOLE SKATING BOARD CULTURE.

WE ARE NOT JUST WHAT HAS BEEN PACKAGED TO US.

THE CHALLENGE IS HAVING YOUNG PEOPLE BECOME CRITICAL THINKERS, US AS ADULTS, AND THEM SERVING IT BACK TO US, SAYING THINK CRITICALLY ABOUT IT.

PARIS: TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA HAS MADE IT A BIT HARDER TO THINK CRITICALLY BECAUSE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS COMING AT YOU.

WHERE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SOMETHING?

WHETHER IT IS READING INFLUENCERS OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TECHNOLOGY TO AID IN SUPPORTING LITERACY?

TONI: TUTORING IS HUGE.

ON YOUTUBE, YOU CAN SET UP AT ANY TIME.

READ A BOOK.

THERE IS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO SPARK THE IMAGINATION.

, AND USING THE ONLINE WORLD AND ONLINE LEARNING, I KNOW THERE IS PRISM ONE AND PRISM TWO THAT HAS BEEN INTRODUCED IN THE CLASSROOMS, AND I’M WONDERING HOW OUR GOVERNOR OR OUR SCHOOLS CAN INTEGRATE YOUTUBE AND DIGITAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES INTO OUR CLASSROOMS.

PARIS: GOVERNOR HALEY HAS PROPOSED INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR LITERACY PROGRAMS ACROSS THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS.

THIS COMES AS WE SEE CUTS ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL TO THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION OR OTHER PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT CHILDREN’S LEARNING.

HOW IMPERATIVE IS IT, WHETHER IT IS LOCAL, STATE, OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, FOR THAT SUPPORT TO BE THERE FINANCIALLY?

JONATHAN: TO DECREASE CLASS SIZES, YOU NEED TO PAY PEOPLE.

SPEAKING OF CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE, A LOT OF BLACK FOLKS WHO BECOME EDUCATED, YOU NEED A CERTAIN INCOME, SO UNFORTUNATELY WHEN YOU ARE WORKING IN EDUCATION, IT’S NOT PAYING WHAT YOU NEEDED TO LIVE HERE, SO THEY CAN’T BE IN THE CLASSROOMS HOPING TO INCREASE THE LITERACY RATE AMONG OTHER BLACK FOLKS.

THROW MONEY -- NOT THROW MONEY, MONEY, MORE OF IT.

REDUCE CLASS SIZES.

GET MORE TUTORED SUPPORT.

IT IS CRITICAL.

PARIS: ARE THERE OTHER WAYS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE POTENTIAL FUNDING INCREASES IMPLEMENTED?

TONI: BRINGING IN SPECIALISTS.

COMIC BOOK WRITERS.

PARIS: YOU CAN DO THAT ONE ON ONE OR ONE ON TWO INTERACTION.

TONI: ALSO PARIS, MAYBE USING SOME OF THE FUNDING DIRECTLY FOR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING?

JONATHAN: YEAH.

[LAUGHTER] PARIS: JONATHAN WILL BE THE.

-- WILL BE THERE.

TONI: I WANT TO BE IN THOSE ROOMS TOO.

BUT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT LOOK OF OUR AGE, YOUNGER.

I THINK WE SHOULD GET OLDER CITIZENS INVOLVED BACK INTO THOSE PROGRAMS, AND EVEN IN THE SCHOOLS, IT GIVES YOU THAT SENSITIVITY TOWARD ELDERS.

PARIS: MAKE IT REALLY COMMUNAL.

TONI, YOU AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THE POETRY GARDEN YOU HAVE WHERE YOU PARTNER WITH GARDENS IN THE CITY AND HAVE POETS GO AND BE IN THOSE SPACES AND SHARE THEIR ART.

I’M JUST IMAGINING, A SCHOOL FIELD TRIP, RIGHT, WHERE STUDENTS CAN WORK WITH THOSE POETS AND GET THE ADDED BENEFIT OF INTERACTING WITH NATURE.

TONI: IT IS QUESTIONS, TOO.

IT IS ONE THING TO HAVE A POET OF REGGIE GIBSON’S STATUS SPEAK TO YOU, BUT WHAT IF REGGIE READS A POEM AND YOU ARE ABLE TO ASK A QUESTION BACK?

A LOT OF TIMES WE TREAT OUR ENTERTAINERS AS UNTOUCHABLE, BUT WITH THE POETS IN THE GARDEN PROGRAM, NOT ONLY IS THE LINEUP DIVERSE, YOU CAN ASK YOUR POET AND ARTIST QUESTIONS, WHICH GOES BACK TO THAT PIECE ON, WHAT DO YOU LIKE?

JUST BY AN ARTIST ANSWERING A QUESTION, IT COULD BRING THAT LIGHT AND JOY AND DESIRE TO ENGAGE WITH POETRY OR LITERATURE FOR THE YOUNG PERSON AND THEIR FAMILY.

JONATHAN: I LIKE MONEY TOWARDS ENRICHMENTS, WOULD BE GREAT.

SOME SCHOOLS, LIKE A LOT OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS, THEY ALREADY HAVE A BUDGET FOR VISITS, AND OTHERS, THEY DON’T.

IN BOSTON, THERE IS AN ALL-BLACK CLASSROOM, I HAD TO VOLUNTEER TO GO.

AS A FULL-TIME WRITER, I NEED TO MAKE A LIVING.

I WAS ABLE TO USE SOME OTHER FUNDS TO GO.

BUT FOR THOSE TYPE OF AUTHOR VISITS WHERE YOU CAN MEET PEOPLE WHO WRITE BOOKS.

AND I HAVE SOME AUTHOR VISITS WHERE I JUST SPEAK TO STUDENTS, BUT THEN I HAVE OTHERS WHERE I DO HANDS-ON WORKSHOPS, BUT I NEED TO LIMIT THOSE TWO SMALLER GROUPS.

I WOULD HAVE TO COME FOR MULTIPLE DAYS TO DO THAT, BUT THEN I GET TO WORK ONE-ON-ONE, AND YOU COULD HELP ENCOURAGE THEIR WRITING AND SPARK THEIR INTERESTS.

FOR ME, DRAWING COMICS MADE ME A VERY STRONG WRITER, SO IF YOU CAN SPARK THAT INTEREST, AND A LOT OF TIMES IT COMES THROUGH THAT ONE ON ONE, IT’S GREAT.

SPEAKING OF THAT ONE ON ONE INTERACTION, I’VE GONE INTO SCHOOLS -- THE FIRST THING I DO IS GO AROUND THE ROOM AND ASK KIDS THEIR NAME OR INTERESTS.

IN ONE SCHOOL, A GIRL ASKED, WHY DO I WANT TO KNOW THAT?

SHE WAS NOT USED TO PEOPLE ASKING ABOUT HER.

I WANT YOU TO BE SEEN HERE.

IT WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTING THAT SHE WAS NOT USED -- SHE WAS JUST BEING TALKED AT AND NOT LISTENED TO.

TONI: IT DOESN’T WORK TO HAVE SOMEONE WHO DOES NOT LOOK LIKE YOU IN FRONT OF YOU, ENGAGING.

MY FINGERS ARE CROSSED THAT EVEN IN THIS TIME IN THE NATION WE CAN BEGIN TO DO A RECRUITMENT OF BLACK AND BROWN AND ASIAN TEACHERS.

JUST TO HAVE A TEACHER IN FRONT OF YOU -- I HAPPEN TO BE PRIVILEGED ENOUGH TO HAVE GONE TO ALL-BLACK SCHOOLS IN ROXBURY AT A WONDERFUL TIME.

NOW THERE ARE EVEN MORE IN TERMS OF MELANIN KIDS, BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS, BUT THERE IS GOLD TO HAVING SOMEONE LOOK AT YOU AND CARE ABOUT YOU, AND EVEN SAY WHAT IS YOUR NAME AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE, AND HAVE THAT INTERACTION, BECAUSE THEY ARE SEEN.

THAT IS ONE PIECE THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE BLACK AND BROWN AND ASIAN TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOL SO THAT KIDS CAN SAY, OH, YOU REALLY DO CARE, EVEN IF THEY DON’T ACT LIKE IT.

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT SEEING YOURSELF THROUGH THE REFLECTION IN THE MIRROR.

JONATHAN: I DEFINITELY THINK HAVING EDUCATORS THAT LOOK LIKE YOU IS COMPELLING, LIKE AN EXTRA .

I WOULD SAY AS LONG AS THEY ARE CARING AND SINCERE AND AUTHENTIC, BEING THAT CARING ADULT.

ONE THING THAT DOES NOT WORK WELL IS THE BIG CLASS SIZES NOT ABLE TO WORK ONE-ON-ONE, SO THAT YOU CAN TROUBLESHOOT THE AREA THAT SOMEONE’S HAVING TROUBLE WITH.

PARIS: HELP US UNDERSTAND -- I MENTIONED THOSE NUMBERS AT THE BEGINNING.

IF THOSE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO FALL OVER THE NEXT DECADE, WHAT KIND OF DANGER ARE WE IN?

WE GET A LOT OF THOSE.

TONI: BAD HEALTH CARE.

EVEN MORE, THE NUMBERS FOR HEALTH CARE, THE NEGATIVE RESULTS WILL INCREASE.

YOU CANNOT SIMPLY READ A DOCUMENT.

SO MANY PEOPLE ARE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES.

WE HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN BE IN COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKERS AND TRANSLATORS FOR THEIR PARENTS.

I WONDER, ARE THEY REALLY THE YOUNG PERSON WHO IS TRANSLATING, ARE THEY GETTING ALL THEY NEED LITERACY-WISE?

IN THE LONG RUN, THERE ARE PLACES LIKE GOOGLE AND CAMBRIDGE, M.I.T.

AND HARVARD.

IN BETWEEN THAT SPACE,A RE CHILDREN -- THAT SPACE, ARE OUR CHILDREN LITERATE ENOUGH TO WRITE IN THESE PLACES THAT PROFESSIONALLY ARE SPEAKING AI AND CHATGPT?

NOW YOU PRESS A BUTTON, YOU ASK A QUESTION AND YOU GET A SCRIPT.

THAT HAS MADE IT EVEN MORE EASIER FOR PEOPLE NOT TO BE LITERATE.

I WONDER WHERE WE ARE GOING TO GO WITH EVERYTHING BEING SO MUCH MORE EASY, HOW DO WE BEGIN TO CREATE A CULTURE WHERE OUR KIDS -- I’M LITERATE, I CAN READ THAT PAPER.

WE ARE TALKING BANKING, WE ARE TALKING CONTRACTS.

ALREADY WE’VE SEEN SO MUCH WHERE BLACK FOLKS BACK IN THE DAY JUST SIGNED ON THE DOTTED LINE AND GAVE SO MUCH AWAY.

SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THE TIME TO SAY, PAUSE, READ.

I’M NOT SURE HOW WE ARE GOING TO GET THERE, BUT MAYBE IT STARTS WITH THE LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES.

NOT SURE, I LOVE THOSE.

PARIS: WHENEVER YOU SEE THEM, PUT A BOOK IN.

JONATHAN TODD AND TONI BEE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US.

JONATHAN: THANK YOU, PARIS.

GOOD TO SEE YOU, TONI.

PARIS: MANY THANKS TO TONI AND JONATHAN, GRUB STREET BLACK TEACHER FELLOWS FOR THEIR VITAL WORK AND SHARING THEIR POWERFUL STORIES WITH US.

THEIR DEDICATION TO FOSTERING A LOVE FOR READING AND WRITING AND YOUNG BLACK CHILDREN IS TRULY INSPIRING, SO THANK YOU.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THEIR WORK AND A LIST OF BOOKS AND AUTHORS THEY RECOMMEND, VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WGBH.ORG.

ALSO LET US KNOW WHAT KEEPS YOU ROOTED AT WGBH.ORG.

WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON WGBH NEWS ROOTED.

♪