Read-in conveys words of harmony

The African American Read-In Chain, an international movement to promote literacy as part of Black History Month, was held at Rincon Congregational United Church of Christ, 122 N. Craycroft Road.

The read-in chain began 21 years ago when the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English decided the first Sunday of February should be devoted to reading African-American literature. This year the Tucson chapter postponed the event because it conflicted with the Super Bowl.

"I would love to see more people come out," said Jessie Jackson, who read "Change," by Mona Lake Jones. Her sentiment was echoed by many of the event coordinators, including the founder of the Tucson read-in chapter, Mildred Wilson.

Wilson is a retired teacher and member of the Greater South Park Church of God in Christ, one of the nine churches that supported the event. Many of the readers and audience members were people Wilson knows through church, including Hayli Kubly, 7, and Katelyn Kubly, 9, two of the youngest readers to participate.

Former City Councilwoman Carol West read an excerpt from Maya Angelou's "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings."

"We had first-graders to great-grandmothers," Wilson said of her 10 readers, who represented different races, genders and faiths. The women of the coordinating team were diverse as well.

"Culture is what enriches your life," retired English teacher Betty M. Hillman, who is white, said of why she chose to help with the event.

Jonas Eldridge, an audience member from Wilson's church, said the event gets more interesting every year. This year it was changed to include a speaker.

Wilson asked Harriet Scarborough, a friend and member of the National Council of Teachers of English, to speak before the readings began. Scarborough is originally from Belize, where she taught for four years.

She decided to stay in Tucson after attending the University of Arizona and meeting her husband, Tom.

"I grew up reading about Dick and Jane," said Scarborough, a self-described bookworm. "It was always about the experience of the majority culture."

As a minority, she found it unfulfilling.

One of the most notable moments of the event was when Scarborough voiced her belief that "Reading should serve as both a window and a mirror." She believes people can look through the window to learn about the world and other cultures, but that using literature to reflect on yourself and your own culture is important, too.

Scarborough read Langston Hughes' famous poem, "Theme for English B," about how everyone is interconnected, whether they like it or not. She also read an excerpt from a Haitian author, a poem from Nikki Giovanni and a sample of her own work, about nostalgia.

On her decision to write, Scarborough said, "I believe that I need to write the stories of my people, because if I don't, someone else will. And how authentic will that be?"

Another highlight of the event was Gladys Stingley's reading of Maya Angelou's "Hater," a poem about overcoming negative people. In good humor, Stingley asked, "May I see the hands of all the haters in here?"

Throughout her reading the audience chimed in with chuckles and affirmations. Afterward Stingley reminded them: "Don't hate."

A more formal aspect of the event was Jessie Zander's reading of Mayor Bob Walkup's proclamation that Feb. 14-20 is now African-American Read-In Week in Tucson. Zander is a member of the coordinating team.

While the read-in chain was meant to promote literacy, both music and faith had large roles as well. The ceremony was opened and closed with prayer, and together the audience sang the Black National Anthem, a song about hope and overcoming hardship. Tanishia Hamilton performed with her husband, Kevin Hamilton, who accompanied her on the piano. They soulfully sang Michael Jackson's "Heal the World" - a huge hit with the crowd.

After the ceremony, listeners were invited to enjoy refreshments and browse books laid out by Mostly Books, an independent bookstore. The books ranged from classic children's books to ones by African-American authors such as Toni Morrison, to books about President Obama.

Wilson plans to start organizing next year's read-in chain immediately. "It's a reading world," she said.

Melody Bartholomew is a University of Arizona journalism student apprenticing at the Star. Contact her at 807-7776 or at starapprentice@azstarnet.com