Page 8 - Florida Sentinel 2-25-20

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Non-Profit Exposes Students To Legacy Of Dr. King
Storyteller, Ms. Tamara Green, entertained students with capti- vating African Folklore stories em- bedded with positive messages and thought provoking, action-packed plot twists.
Shown with the program are: left to right, Pavonne Scott, Edith Randolph, Iowana Whitman-Tims, President, D.E.L.T.A, Inc.; Glori- dine McNair, Vice President; Yolanda Cole, Evelyn Wright, Mona Posinoff, and Pat Commedore.
Left to right - Shaun King, celebrity reader; Gloridine McNair, D.E.L.T.A., Inc. Vice President; Iowana Whitman-Tims, Presi- dent/CEO, D.E.L.T.A., Inc.; Tiffany Greene, celebrity reader; and Dwayne Merriweather, Board member.
D.E.L.T.A., Inc., a recipient of a 2020 Dr. MLK Day of Serv- ice Grant, joined forces with a local public, charter school, Legacy Preparatory Academy, to host its first African American Read-In. Members and volun- teers converged on the school on Tuesday, January 21, 2020, from 8:30 a. m. til 11 a. m.
The African American Read- In focused on exposing more than 200 students in kinder-
garten through eighth grade to the legacy of service left by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Prior to the event date, sixty plus sixth through eighth graders read the book, M.L.K.: The Journey of A King by Tony Bolden. They posted summary cards about the book for peers and teachers to see throughout the school. Each student and their teachers re- ceived a personal copy of the
book to transfer learning be- yond the classroom and into their homes.
The Read-in featured two celebrity readers and an African American Folklore storyteller. Ms. Tiffany Greene, ESPN sports analyst, dazzled the minds of more than 60 young scholars in grades K-2 with her interactive reading of the book, A Girl Named Misty: The True Story of Misty
Copeland, by Kelly Starling Lyons. The students cheered with excitement when, Iowana Whitman-Tims, President of D.E.L.T.A., Inc., shared that guest reader, Ms. Greene, had written in her kindergarten yearbook that she wanted to be a sportscaster when she grew up. Ms. Greene encouraged the students to think about what they wanted to be when they grow up. She told them that she
is now living her dream, and they could also live their dream. Third through fourth grade scholars were electrified when they saw video highlights of their celebrity reader in action at his profession. Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quar- terback, Shaun King, fired up the audience when they realized he was there in person to read and inspire them with some real-life stories. Mr. King read the book, Young Pele, Soc- cer’s First Star, by Lesa Cline Ransome. Practically every young hand in the room popped up when the story ended, and it was time for ques-
tions and answers.
Finally, the event ended
with Storyteller, Ms. Tamara Green, grabbing the attention of everyone in the room with her captivating African Ameri- can folklore that drew the audi- ence into the plot and gave many lessons on value respect, teamwork, and perseverance in the course of interacting with others and solving important problems of conflict and dis- agreement.
Each student at the school received a personal copy of the book that was read to their class to share with parents and sib- lings and help keep learning alive in the home.
Dr. Y. Capers, Principal, encouraged the scholars at Legacy Preparatory Academy to keep reading and thanked the Dr. MLK Day of Service Grant sponsors, Hillsborough Com- munity College, and D.E.L.T.A., Inc., for collaborating with the school to sponsor their first African American Read-in.
(Submitted by Iowana Whitman-Tims, Presi- dent/CEO, D.E.L.T.A., Inc., a 501©3 nonprofit organi- zation.
Email: deltainctam- pabay@hotmail.com)
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