On Wednesday, February 21, at ACC, there was a read-in where numerous ACC students and staff celebrated the contributions and history of African American literature. While the Commons was still filling up, Dr. Sanchez played a game of trivia with the audience, asking questions such as “Who wrote the book The Underground Railroad?” Voices fell silent and only a few adults knew the answer. There are so many important stories written by remarkable authors yet unheard of by the majority. The book was written by Colson Whitehead. He is a two-time Pulitzer-winning author known for using social themes to challenge his readers to learn about the world around them. 

After the trivia game, Mr. Mainor gave an introductory speech about his personal experience as a black man trying to find a reflection of himself in television, literature, and media. Senior Cameron Glover talked about famous comics written by Dwayne McDuffie. Cameron also mentioned the comic that he’s writing and how he incorporated his own family history into it. This idea of reflection was pursued further in a video interview of Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop. She discussed her essay “Windows, Mirrors and Sliding Glass Doors.” Each reflective product has a special meaning for the reader. Windows are how readers can explore other worlds, Mirrors mean being able to picture yourself in a story and how it relates to you, and Sliding Glass Doors are how readers can learn other perspectives through the diverse characters they read about. All of these are important for helping people gain an open mind and understanding of their peers. 

Next was the read-in. junior Abner Rosado and Ms. Monica each read an excerpt from the book Wild Tongues Can’t be Tamed by Saraciea J. Fennell. Senior Komari Austin read a piece of Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson. Junior Zion Davis read The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas and senior Laila Hailey read The Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds. After each reading, the readers explained why they chose that particular book and their connection to its theme. 

I hope you enjoyed the read-in as much as I did! You can find a list of books recommended by the NCTE(National Council of Teachers of English) below!