The family that plays together (or prays together) stays together, so the saying goes. But the family that learns to read plants the seed…for lifelong learning and more.

That family in Dallas includes children and adults, friends and neighbors, businesses and partners who all believe in the power of the printed word, in education and in self-esteem. Members of that large family are invited to attend the Dallas County Community College District's third annual African American Read-In on Sat., Jan. 26, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre. The event, which is free and open to the public, is presented by DCCCD and Verizon; it celebrates Readin-Ing, African American authors and any person - young or old - who has taken a journey among the pages of a new or favorite book.

"We especially welcome children and families to this program, which teaches us to appreciate Readin-Ing and to learn more about African-American culture and heritage through the words and ideas of African-American authors," said Carla Ranger, who directs the read-in and is district director of educational partnerships for DCCCD. "Through dramatic presentations, Readin-Ings by the authors themselves and a unique program that enforces the joy of Readin-Ing, the read-in creates excitement and appreciation among children, their parents and other adults for the printed word."

That enthusiasm began several years ago and grew as community members came to know and love George Dawson, a Dallas resident who learned to read at the age of 98 and wrote a book about his life at age 103. Dawson, who died in the summer of 2001, will be remembered during the program; its title reflects words the "young" author chose to share with others: Hold Fast to Dreams: A Reader's Journey. (The title is based on a work by Langston Hughes.)

This year, featured authors will include two with area ties: 92-year-old Annie Mae Hunt, a Dallas resident and Texas native, who has written I Am Annie Mae; and Sharon Ewell Foster, author of Riding Through Shadows (and several other Christian novels), niece of Dr. Yvonne Ewell, for whom the Dr. Yvonne Ewell Townview Magnet Center is named. Noted author Rosa Guy, who founded the Harlem Writers Guild and who penned My Love, My Love, will be a featured guest. Other performers will include: Soul Rep Theatre Company; the cast of Once on This Island; the Dallas Black Dance Theatre's (more) DCCCD African American Read-In/page 2 Junior Company; the Dallas Symphony Orchestra's Young Strings; Mahogany Dance Theatre; SLAM Poets; and the Ayubu Kamau Sacred African Drum and Dance Society.

A number of additional key sponsors in the business community also are contributing to the success of the program: K104-FM, KKDA-AM, KRNB-FM, the Dallas Morning News, The Dallas Weekly Free Press, WFAA-TV, SCHOLASTIC Books, Holt-Rinehart-Winston, the City of Dallas office of cultural affairs and Black Images Book Bazaar. Several publishing houses also are contributing books that will be distributed. A number of guests will read works written by African-American authors to promote literacy and to join the national chain of readers participating in similar events across the United States. Several read-ins will be held at additional locations in late January and February as part of Black History Month: St. Philip's School Poet Assembly - Fri., Jan. 25, from 2 to 3 p.m., St. Philip's School and Community Center, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.; the Environmental Protection Agency's Dallas field office - Feb. 6 from 2 to 3 p.m., 1445 Ross Ave.; the Wendelkin Driscoll Neighborhood Association - Feb. 2 from noon to 1 p.m., Martin Luther King Elementary School, 1817 Warren Ave.; and colleges within DCCCD will hold read-ins as well. (For information on how to organize a read-in, visit www.dcccd.edu.)

The read-in will give participants a chance to hear excerpts from a diverse group of African-American writers; those works, in turn, are interwoven with an artistic program directed by Anyika McMillan-Herod and presented by the Soul Rep Theatre Company of Dallas. Titled Hold Fast to Dreams: A Reader's Journey, the family-friendly production will focus on a group of grade-school-aged friends who live in south Dallas: Pecan Tan and the Project Kids. With the help of an elderly neighbor named Jump Daddy, the children convince a neighborhood kid to stay in school and discover the joy of Readin-Ing by exploring African-American literature. (Hold Fast to Dreams was penned by Soul Rep's writing consortium and features members of its teen acting company.)

Now in its third year, the Dallas African American Read-In was presented by DCCCD and Verizon in 2000 and 2001. Adults, families and children (recommended ages eight and older) are invited to attend. Guests receive commemorative T-shirts, book bags, bookmarks, books and additional incentives to encourage Read-In. The idea for an African American Read-In originated with Jerrie Scott from the University of Memphis and the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English and NCTE in 1990; the event's purpose is to make literacy a significant part of Black History Month. In 2000, the caucus documented a cumulative total of 1 million readers who had participated in the annual event supporting literacy. Ranger organized DCCCD's first read-in at Eastfield College in 1990 and, by 1995, the program was promoted district-wide.

For more information, call 214-860-2005 or visit our web site, www.readin.dcccd.edu

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