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Gretl
Kramer, Reference Librarian at Elgin Community College, opens
the day by reading a proclamation from Mayor Ed Schock of the
City of Elgin declaring it African American Read-In Chain Day.
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History
of the African American Read-In Chain
The African
American Read-In Chain is an invisible link of readers across
the country reading aloud works by African American authors including
poems, short stories, essays, monologues, or excerpts from novels.
During the Read-In, people of all ethnic groups read works by
African American writers at the same time on the same day in communities
across the nation.
In 1990, the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers
of English sponsored the first African American Read-In Chain.
The next year the entire NCTE organization endorsed and joined
the sponsorship of this event. The goal of the Read-In Chain is
to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month. The
event is endorsed by the International Reading Association and
is celebrated nationally and internationally during the first
week of February. |
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Ben
Adams, Math Instructor
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Tony
Myrie, one of our guests from RR Donnelley
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Kenya
Love, ECC Student
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The
Second African American Read-In Chain at Elgin, 2003: Preparations
Last year,
we decided that the Elgin Community College library would
sponsor the African American Read-In Chain as the first activity
to celebrate Black History Month at the college. This year
we hoped to build on the success of the 2002 event. We again
invited participants from the greater Elgin Community College
community. We offered assistance to anyone who needed suggestions
about material to read. We ordered refreshments and two huge
cakes, prepared displays, posters, bibliographies of books
for all ages by Black writers, bookmarks, and door prizes.
Some faculty offered extra credit to their students who chose
to read aloud. We started a sign-up sheet of readers and works,
allowing 10 to 20 minutes per reader.
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Students,
college staff and community members listen intently to the readings
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The
2003 Event
The second
Elgin Community College African American Read-In Chain took
place on February 3, 2003 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and again
between 5 and 7 p.m. in the ECC library. Readers from throughout
the ECC community brought works by Black authors to read for
others to hear and enjoy. Some readers introduced their readings,
discussed what the works mean to them and shared information
about the author. Some students read their own work. Readers
and audience included college faculty, staff, administrators
and students as well as members of the community who had read
about the event in the newspapers or had seen posters in the
community. There were more than 40 readers during the day and
4 or 5 entire classes in attendance along with the walk-in audience.
Many students returned for the evening session. It was again
a wonderful event to begin Black History Month celebrations
at Elgin Community College for 2003.
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Joyce
Fountain, Instructor of Sociology
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Overflow
seating for the readings
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Shirley
Bell, Adult Recruitment Coordinator II
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| Readings
Reading
chosen by participants included:
Envy of the World by Ellis Close
A Communion of the Spirits by Roland Freeman
I Dream of a World interviews by Brian Lanker
The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois
Please Baby Please by Spike Lee and Tanya Lee
Having Our Say: the Delany First 100 Years by Sarah &
A. Elizabeth Delany
My Man Blue by Nikki Grimes
Martin's Big Words by Dreen Rappaport
Showing My Color by Clarence Page
Jamal's Busy Day by Wade Hudson
Poetry from In Search of Color Everywhere edited by E.
Ethelbert Miller, and
poetry by Claude McKay, Maya Angelou, Peter Harris, Michael
Harper, Langston Hughes, Elizabeth Alexander, E. Ethelbert Miller,
Cornelius Eady, among many others.
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Kerri
Christensen, ECC Student
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Billie
Barnett, Distance Learning Program Developer
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Judy
Jobe, ECC Vice President for Instruction and Student Services
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Mary
West, long time Elgin resident
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Phyllis
Folarin, ECC Board of Trustees
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were especially pleased that some of our participants read their
own writings: |
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Joshua
Moses, ECC Student
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Robyne
Curry, ECC Student
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Mocha,
ECC Student
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Our
Thanks and More Information
Our thanks
go to the library director, Judith A. Sessions, and the library
staff of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio who brought this activity
to our attention. Their website
shows pictures of their 2002 African American Read-In Chain.
There is more information about this event and the sponsoring
organizations at the website of Dr.
Jerrie L. C. Scott of the University of Memphis and at the
website of the National
Council of Teachers of English.
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