Seattle, WA – Three Seattle area Black educators joined forces with the Africatown Community Land Trust and Converge Media to produce video segments intended to encourage parents to read with their children especially now more than ever with formal school being canceled for the remainder of the year due to COVID-19. Seattle School Board Director for District VII, Brandon Hersey, Community Education Advocate, Emijah Smith, and Marissa Mcdowell, Executive Director of Education Unchained all took turns reading children’s books by Black authors.

The readings were recorded at Black Dot Underground in the Central District of Seattle and produced by Seattle area marketing firm, Converge Media and will be played online later this week and next week on the Africatown Community Land Trust Facebook Page and the Converge Media YouTube Page.

As school is out for the remainder of the school year, Africatown Community Land Trust, as well as educators, want to encourage parents and children to read together as often as possible. Africatown Community Land Trust has also provided an online database full of homeschooling resources for parents and students.

For more online learning, lessons, and read aloud’s during school closures please visit Director Hersey’s Facebook page

Books that were read:

Mae Among The Stars by Rhoda Ahmed / Illustrated by Stasia Barrington

Hair Love by Matthew A Cherry / Illustrated by Vashti Harrison

Counting on Katherine by Helaine Becker / Illustrated by Dow Phumiruk

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty / Illustrated by David Roberts

Honeysmoke by Monique Fields / Illustrated by Yesenia Moises