Who is this video about?
In this video, I introduce you to Dr.Kelly Byrd, a literacy advocate from St. Louis, Missouri. Library visits as a child, a grandfather’s stack of sermons, her mom’s kitchen, and a notebook and pencil are among the things that influenced her love for literacy.
Dr. Byrd is a speech language pathologist for the St. Louis Public Schools District. She has a bachelor of science in communications and disorders from St. Louis University, a master’s in speech and language pathology from Howard University, and a doctorate of education in curriculum and instruction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Kelly is the author of a children’s book entitled “Like Sunshine On an Otherwise Miserable Day.” She is the founder of the Love for Literacy nonprofit organization. Her organization collects new black children’s books and donates them in an annual giveaway event in honor of the late Patricia McKissack, a renown St. Louis author, who was Kelly’s mentor.
See the topic timeline below.
What is this series about?
In the “Literacy Journeys with Linda” video series, you will hear from a wide range of people who have made literacy, that is, the act of reading and/or writing, a vital portion of their lives. Words are everywhere you look–on garments, in retail establishments, on the streets, on buildings, and more. Some people have chosen to absorb the written word as if it were the very air they breathe. Others may not be as avid, but they still appreciate and embrace a basic skill that gives them access to a different, arguably, better life than they would have if they were illiterate. Many people around the world are illiterate, and I hope this series can bring awareness to this issue and spark change. Why? Because Literacy is Liberation! It takes you higher.
Topic timeline:
0:28 Kelly’s background
3:06 Why Black literacy matters
4:47 Kelly’s childhood literacy
6:45 Grandfather’s Library
7:30 Literacy is a social practice
7:46 All children experience literacy
8:15 Literacy affects children’s identity and inclusivity
9:00 Literacy broadens our thinking
10:25 Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s metaphor
11:58 Writing is her therapy
13:57 Author Patricia McKissack inspired her children’s book
16:35. Encouraging other authors
Mentions by Dr. Kelly Byrd:
“#Black Literacy Matters” T-shirt
www.loveforliteracy.org
Love for Literacy nonprofit
www.loveforliteracy.org
Kelly’s children’s book, “Like Sunshine On an Otherwise Miserable Day” can be purchased on Amazon.com. It is also available in St. Louis at Eye See Me bookstore. https://www.eyeseeme.com/
St. Louis Black Authors
About Patricia McKissack
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/20049/patricia-mckissack
About Rudine Sims Bishop
https://tinyurl.com/yxq22sya
Thumbnail created on Canva.com and Adobe Photoshop by Linda M. Mitchell aka Literacy is Liberation!
Photography by Odell Mitchell Jr., http://www.odellmitchelljr.com
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