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In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Service Day and in celebration of Literacy Week, Dr. Ronald E. McNair Public School #5 in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn kicked off its “Light Up for Literacy” reading program
The festive occasion spotlighted literacy to spark children’s imagination and get them to read more. The week-long activities included peer read-along and literacy pledges.
“We have a wonderful literacy program here at PS5,” shared Principal Lena Gates. “We want children to light up when they think about books. We decorated a tree donated to us by 500 Men Making a Difference with books and lights so children can make that connection between the light that books can bring to their lives.”
New York City TV personality Cheryl Wills participated in the school’s author’s showcase. Wills, an award-winning journalist, read passages and presented children with autographed copies of her illustrated children’s book, “Emma.” The book tells the story of her great, great, great grandmother, Emma Wills, who, although born enslaved, fought for her right to be free and literate.
The children’s book is one of several books Wills wrote that focuses on her enslaved ancestor, Sandy Wills, Emma’s husband, who fought for his freedom during the Civil War. In 2024, 60 Minutes covered Ms. Wills’s journey to have Sandy Wills, who died in 1889 and was placed in an unmarked grave, exhumed and reburied with full military honors. Ms. Wills shared the video clippings from that journey with the PS5 students.
When asked why she wrote Emma, Wills shared a touching story about how Emma, who could not read, was given a bible and demanded that her former owner record the names of her 9 children in it. “Although the world treated her as a second-class citizen,” Wills shared. “She was able to stand in her own power, and I was proud to write this book in her name. I was especially proud to write a book about a woman who could not read a book.”
The evening ended with a tree lighting ceremony where students lined up to receive books from their wish list and committed their pledges to read. “Our goal is to encourage children to read more and build libraries at home,” shared Principal Gates. “We want to encourage them to share information and become authors and leaders.”
According to recent statistics, only 33.6% of New York City public school students from kindergarten to 10th grade scored proficient on reading assessment. Last year, Mayor Adams and then Chancellor Banks launched New York City Read. According to the press release, the program’s primary goal is to ensure that all New York City students become strong readers, which is the most important skill required for educational, career, and lifetime success.
“The most basic thing we can do at our schools is ensure that all our students learn how to read,” said Mayor Adams.”New York City Reads is a historic curriculum shift in the largest school district in the nation that will bring proven science-of-reading and phonics-based methods to all our public school students.”
Located in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn, the Ronald E. McNair Public School 5 affirms as its central mission that every child has the right to a quality education in a safe and secure environment that reflects high expectations and high academic standards, that literacy is the first and most essential goal; and that every child can and will succeed in ways that mirror his or her own aptitudes; interests and culture. PS5 supports collaboration among staff, parents, and community groups to ensure that each child will become a contributing member of his or her community, our nation, and the world of the 21st century
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