DCCCD and Verizon present African American Read-In 2001 on February 4
January 24, 2001

Dallas County Community College District and Verizon will pay tribute to Black History Month with a community-wide presentation of literary Readings, song and dance at the Second Annual African American Read-In celebration on February 4.
The family-oriented celebration will be held from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Majestic Theatre on 1925 Elm Street in downtown Dallas. Guided by the theme, Reading Brings Dallas Together, the Read-In is free and open to the public.

The two-hour, multi-faceted performance promises to be as entertaining as last year’s successful debut. It will feature the return of George Dawson, a 103-year-old South Dallas resident who learned to read at age 98. Mr. Dawson is coauthor with Richard Glaubman of his memoirs, Life Is So Good (Random House, 2000).

Mr. Dawson has appeared on Oprah and many other national programs promoting literacy. He will be honored at the celebration with the announcement of the Millennium Literacy Champion Award.

Joining Mr. Dawson is a lineup of community leaders, artistic performers, talented youths and celebrities, including former Dallas Cowboy Daryl "Moose" Johnston, actors Irma Hall and Michele Richards, and newly published author Nelvia Brady.

Mr. Johnston also returns to the celebration after his appearance in last year’s event. Ms. Hall, a former Dallas high school teacher whose talents have graced the silver screen, played the role of "Big Mama" in Soul Food and stole the show as the voodoo priestess "Minerva" in the movie, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. Ms. Richards played Whitney Houston’s vengeful sister in the 1992 blockbuster movie, The Bodyguard, also starring Kevin Costner. Ms. Brady released her first book, This Mother’s Daughter, in time for Mother’s Day 2000. Other guests will join these celebrities in Reading the works of famous black literary pioneers.

The Dallas Black Dance Theatre and Anita N. Martinez Ballet Folklórico will also perform, and nationally acclaimed playwright Bob Devin Jones will direct the Read-In program. Entitled "Witness Journey", the program includes excerpts from Mr. Dawson’s memoirs, Life is So Good, as well as the works of contemporary writers throughout his life.

Everyone attending will receive a book encouraging continued appreciation of Reading and literacy.

The inaugural Read-In celebration, held on February 6, 2000, drew a capacity crowd of 1,750 at the Majestic Theatre and featured community luminaries and celebrities, including Mr. Dawson, Mr. Johnston, TV actor LeVar Burton and Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk.

The celebration kicks off the international chain of Read-In groups sponsored by local businesses, organizations and individuals throughout February. Read-Ins are small gatherings of people of all races and ages who introduce each other to literary works of black authors by Reading and discussing select, personally meaningful passages with each other.

Dallas County Community Colleges and several other groups in the community have hosted Read-Ins annually since its inception by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teacher of English (NCTE). The NCTE Special Programs has commended Dallas as the standard for other cities to follow in hosting Read-Ins. Last February, NCTE received just over 20,000 Read-In reports from Texas with 13,363 from Dallas alone.

For more information or program updates, contact: Carla Ranger at 214-860-2005; Allison Neal, event manager, at 214-616-2965; or Ann Hatch, DCCCD office of marketing and communications, at 214-860-2478.

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