Writing Project to Lead African American Read-In with the Beach Institute

Savannah readers will be in the numbers when the annual National African American Read-In kicks off in February. The movement to form a chain of at least one million readers is being led this year by the Coastal Georgia Writing Project (CGWP) of Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) and will include participation from the Beach Institute African American Cultural Center which is gearing up for its 2006 Lecture Series promoting literacy.

On February 5, 2006 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. the public is invited to the Beach Institute at 502 Harris Street to hear a panel of presenters read selected pages from celebrated authors such as Gloria Naylor, Jamaica Kincaid, Austin Clarke, Tina McElroy Ansa, and Eloise Greenfield among others. The panel will feature faculty members from Armstrong, teachers from CGWP, students, and members of the Beach Institute.

Participating schools and teachers will spotlight young adult author Jamaica Kincaid and children's authors and illustrators Greenfield, Jan Spivey Gilchrist, Ashley Bryan, and actor/author Tommy Ford throughout the day on February 6th as students enjoy their regular read-aloud and composition/literature activities. East Broad and Garrison Elementary schools are scheduled to report its number of readers for the day, along with Beach High School.

CGWP and the Languages, Literature, and Philosophy (LLP) Department at AASU will sponsor an African American Read-In Luncheon on Friday, February 10 from noon to 1:15 p.m. in University Hall, Room 158. Presenters will include Dr. Uzzie Cannon, Dr. Beth Howells, Pat West, and graduate student Alicia Ferrell from LLP, Dr. Evelyn Dandy of the College of Education, retired teachers Nancy McCorkle and Debbie Rotkow of CGWP, Mr. Brian Dawsey, Admissions Counselor, a representative from the Beach Institute, and Mr. J'miah Nabawi of Global Arts Education and Creative Storytelling.

The featured authors will be in Savannah April 6-9, 2006 as part of the Beach Institute Lecture Series, "Literary Voices of the African Diaspora." Jennifer Boryk, program coordinator for the King-Tisdell Cottage Foundation -Beach Institute may be reached at 234-8000 for further information.

Interested persons may R.S.V.P. for the luncheon by calling 921-5692 or emailing westpatr@mail.armstrong.edu. Educators, churches, and community groups may download information from www.ncte.org/prog/readin. Teachers are requested to use the same contact information at AASU to report name, school, grade, number of students, and the titles and African-American authors read and discussed on Monday, February 6.

The read-in was started 17 years ago by The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and is also endorsed by the International Reading Association.

For more information about the events, contact Pat West at 912-921-5692 OR westpatr@mail.armstrong.edu