+ Equity Statement

Read-Aloud Volunteer Program (Read-Aloud) is a relationship-based program that fosters in children the joy and love of learning through reading and story-telling.

Read-Aloud is modeled after Start Making A Reader Today (SMART) in Oregon. We pride ourselves in the work we do and honor SMART for its innovative work to support children living in underserved communities of color. We stay true to SMART’s mission and are on a similar quest to help the deeply diverse communities of Richmond, San Pablo and surrounding areas become more equitable through the Read-Aloud Volunteer Program. As such, we have modeled our statement of equity on SMART’s (to see the original document, go to: http://www.getsmartoregon.org/about-smart/equity/).

Our Commitment to Equity

Read-Aloud’s goals were to build a structure of volunteers to support and improve reading outcomes for children in under resourced communities in Richmond and surrounding areas. Read-Aloud organizes volunteer one-on-one reading opportunities in elementary schools to help children develop literacy skills, self-confidence, and a love of reading. Literacy creates opportunities and choices for children; a lack of reading skills limits those opportunities and choices.

As an early literacy program focused on helping children succeed with reading and learning, we acknowledge that deep racial, cultural, social, and economic inequities in our country and state make it harder for some children to succeed compared to others. We know that children need different inputs to reach the same outcomes. Read-Aloud works with children to support meeting or exceeding the third-grade reading benchmark.

Research proves that the education gap between white students and students of color arises for a number of reasons. The children we serve are from many different backgrounds, some of which create advantages or disadvantages in the education system. Our country, state, and society also perpetuate systemic, institutional, and cultural biases that reinforce inequality. These inequities and inequalities stand in the way of succeeding at our mission.

Together with our network of volunteers reading with students each year, we have an opportunity to change the story when it comes to the education gap. We have a responsibility to better understand and serve the children in our program and to examine our organization, systems, and policies for bias and inequities. We expect equity to be prioritized in every facet of our organization, effecting:

The children and families we serve The volunteers we recruit, train, and retain The staff we hire, train, and support The communities in which we serve and operate We have an intentional focus on racial equity because inequities of a racial nature rise to the highest level of severity and negative impact on the educational outcomes of the students we serve. We also keep sight of other inequities and discrimination that exist for our children.

We acknowledge that this is a long and complex journey for any organization; Read-Aloud is committed to continual assessment and modification of our work.

+ Board Statement on Social Injustice

As we react to the recent murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, we are reminded that these are not isolated incidents, these are just the drops of water cresting the dam that caused a flood of outcrys. We take heart that outrage and boycotts inspired by the brutal murder of Emmett Till helped catalyze the civil rights movement; hopefully these protests will enact similar and profound change.

All lives matter when Black and Brown lives matter.

But at the moment, it is evident that Black and Brown lives don’t matter as much as White lives to our nation as a whole. We support the Black Lives Matter movement intending to bring the social value of Black and Brown lives on par with White lives.

The Read-Aloud Board and Volunteer Program will increase its efforts in this area by:

1. Purchasing 10 books each month (or 300 per year) for each site having themes or stories related to racism or anti-racism (including stories about positive African American and Latino role models);
2. Providing additional training for volunteers regarding racism; and
3. Providing a safe environment for students to ask questions about racism.

We feel it is necessary to have conversations about racism, anti-racism and activism, so that we are all on the same page, and can help our students grow. There are many great resources on how to talk about racism with children and how to introduce racism to children using children’s books. We would like to share a few with you:

• Recommendations on how to talk to your children about racism
• Children's books about racism
• Special children's resources
• "Talking to Kids About Racism and Justice: a list for parents, caregivers & educators" from the Oakland Public Library If you have any questions or concerns, or would like to donate books around social justice or racial equity, please don’t hesitate to contact us at: info@read-aloud.org

In solidarity, Qiana Riley (President), Jaqueline Lee (Secretary), Sharon Coffer (Treasurer), Linda Cohen, George Fruehan and Tirsa St. Fort

+ Executive Director Statement on Social Injustice

The protests sweeping the nation and events like Sesame Street's Townhall on Racism have caused me to take stock in how I interact with others and view the world. I have known that systemic racism exists in our country and that it has been an injustice that adversely affects Black members of our community, but I have done little to address it, to my shame.

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Ahmaud Arbery. Rayshard Brooks. These recent murders of our fellow humans are just the tip of the iceberg, and have brought home that I, as a person, and Read-Aloud as a community organization need to do a better job of calling attention to and addressing systemic racism and the effects that it has on our community and country. Our Board and staff are multi cultural and sensitive to these issues, and I will continue working with them to guide our response in incorporating this lens in all of our programs. One of the ways to change the world is to educate our children; Read-Aloud is uniquely placed to influence perceptions. Read-Aloud pledges to buy and share more books about Black families and children living American lives, so that it is harder to view Black lives as other, and instead as normal and valued. All lives matter when Black and Brown lives matter.

We will also buy and share books that address the realities of being Black in America, because it is not enough to say that Black people have been unfairly treated in the past (slavery, Jim Crow era, redlining, Civil Rights era), and that things are better now; we have to acknowledge that even at this moment in time Black people are being treated differently (voter suppression, predatory lending, police brutality), and it must change. As always, volunteers and staff must model good behavior, gently point out when we fall short, listen to corrections and concerns, and grow together.

Ways to enact change don’t end there. Make an impact on this generation or the next by volunteering with a local non-profit supporting social change or discourse. Can’t volunteer? Donate to an organization you feel makes a difference, such as The National Urban League, National Bail Out, NAACP and NAACP Legal Defense Fund. On a personal note, think about how to hold a dialogue with others around race and systemic racism. Listen and learn from these dialogues. Try to see past your stereotypes of others and interact with them as individuals.

I welcome any suggestions that our volunteers and community would like to share in how best to address the issue of social injustice with our students (and each other).

In reason and justice, Crystal Merrill, Executive Director Read-Aloud Volunteer Program