On September 19, 2023, from 4-6 p.m., at the Hodges Library (Lindsay Young Auditorium, Room 101), on the campus of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Tennessee Reading Research Center and the College of Education, Health, & Human Sciences’ Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion present a screening of the documentary, “The Right to Read.”
Open to members of the public and to those within UT System with an interest in literacy as a form of social justice. Registration is limited to 150 attendees.
Parking and Transportation: Parking for the event is: G17 Garage (1800 Lake Ave). A charter bus will run to the event from parking. Attendees will need to pick the charter bus up on Terrace Ave behind the G17-Lake Avenue/G11-Terrace Avenue garages. See image:
Schedule for bus:
- Before event – From G17 to Hodges: 3:30 and 3:50 pm
- After event – From Hodges to G17: 6:05 and 6:15
Agenda: After a welcome, the documentary will be screened (1 hour 20 minutes) and followed by a facilitated discussion (30 minutes) and closing. The film features the work of Oakland NAACP activist and former teacher Kareem Weaver, who believes literacy is our most important civil right. It also features schools and families in California, Virginia, Mississippi, and Memphis, Tennessee as they address children’s literacy.
The event is aligned with President Boyd’s and Chancellor Plowman’s charge for UT to be a leader in literacy, and it is aligned with the college’s DEI action plan.
From the directors: “The Right to Read shares the stories of an activist, a teacher, and two American families who fight to provide our youngest generation with the most foundational indicator of life-long success: the ability to read.
That’s why Oakland-based NAACP activist Kareem Weaver believes literacy is one of the greatest civil rights issues of our time and is fighting for better reading instruction. “What good is winning the right to vote if we can’t even read the ballot?” Fed up with the bleak reading scores in his own community, Kareem files a petition with the Oakland Unified School District demanding change.“