Often statistics tell a story that spurs us to action. Consider:
- Only 13% of African-American male 4th graders and 11% of
African-American male 8th graders scored at or above proficient on
national reading tests;
- Barely half of all African-American males graduate from high school, and only 5% go to college;
- Black male teens are eight times more likely to die from homicide than white male teens;
- African-American males make up only 14% of the US population but nearly 40% of prison inmates;
- Despite research that links quality school library programs to
increased student achievement, many African-American youth live in
communities where school libraries are underfunded, collections are out
of date, and full-time librarians are scarce. Read more....
