When Deborah Summers became a charter member of the Joliet Chapter of the National Hook-Up of Black Women (NHBW) in 1991, she brought her experience as a teacher, and her life history in community service. Her father, the late Vern Dillon, was a Joliet icon, on the front lines of the Civil Rights Movement.

That unique background would prove meaningful in developing programs to reach kids and parents who too often feel unseen and unheard. “When our children learn their history, when they are taught to have pride in who they are, it totally changes their entire learning experience,” Summers says.

The organization’s multicultural initiative provides programs to help children, youth and families accelerate learning through cultural connections: dance, oratory contests, leadership development, and literacy. They also provide several college scholarships.

Having served as past president to both the national NHBW organization and the local chapter, Summers sees the impact of taking literacy education directly into the community.

“Our National Reading for Life initiative was actually launched from the Joliet Chapter in 2010,” says Summers. “It has since spread to every chapter nationwide. Now there are more than 70 reading rooms across the country, providing free books and reading spaces to families.”

Reading for Life established reading rooms in neighborhood centers and school classrooms, with a goal of making books easy to acquire. Visitors to reading rooms can sit and read, choose a book to take home, return a book for another, or collect new books to add to their home library. Every year for the last 8 years NHBW has adopted the Laraway School District 3rd grade class and gives a crate of books away to each student.

“Books! It’s all about books,” said Summers. “We give away books at every event. We share children’s fiction and picture books, books about history and heroes, books for teens and adults–everything! We want every child to have his or her own library of books they love. We want every parent to be able to model good reading habits for their kids.”

Reading for Life also organizes workshops for parents and caregivers. “Parents and primary caregivers are children’s first and most important teachers,” says Summers. “Literacy should be a family affair.”

And while improving reading and language skills is critical, it’s not the whole story. Reading for Life also engages children in cultural field trips, like the annual UniverSoul Circus, and the Black Rodeo in Pembroke.

“A child can learn enough vocabulary words to read a book, but until they can connect what they read to their actual lives, there’s still a gap,” says Summers. “When they have experiences that help make those connections? Then you see real comprehension, and real learning.”

The Real Men Read Initiative is a perfect example of coupling books with action. By recruiting Black men volunteers to participate in story times across Joliet Grade School District 86 and in after school programs, they show Black children the benefits of reading by presenting positive role models. Volunteer storytellers have included Black judges, firefighters, businessmen, elected officials and dads and granddads from all walks of life.

Working together, Summers said, is the best way and maybe the only way to close the racial achievement gap between students in our community. “The schools can’t do it alone,” she said. “And we can’t afford to lose another generation of brilliant Black children because they didn’t have the resources they needed to excel.”

The Joliet NHBW carries out the organization’s national mission by creating an atmosphere which enables women to effect meaningful changes. Dedicated volunteers work to improve the quality of life, facilitate family preservation, achieve self-empowerment, and promote economic development. Membership reflects a diversity of women from a variety of business, professional, and community disciplines crossing all economic, social, and educational levels.

The NHBW is a 501(c)(3) organization, supported by grants from numerous local funders, including Silver Cross Hospital. Donations are tax-deductible. To find a book event or a reading room near you, visit them online at https://www.nhbwjoliet.com/, or on Facebook and Instagram.

This is the second of a four-part series called Taking it to the Streets: Reaching Black Students Where They Live, exclusive to the Times Weekly.