VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. (WAVY) – A Virginia Beach family is featured in the ‘The Right to Read‘ documentary.
The social justice film addresses the reading crisis in the United States.
“This is truly a crisis because two-thirds of our children in this country are reading below grade level,” said filmmaker and director Jenny Mackenzie. “We have to decide, do we have the political will to stand up and say ‘Enough?’ This is a huge issue and it is continuing to perpetuate systemic racism because we are leaving Black and Brown children behind?”
56% of Black 4th graders, 50% of Hispanic 4th graders, and 57% of American Indian/Alaska Native 4th graders are reading “below basic,” according to The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP).
The Right to Read film follows an educator Sabrina Causey and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) activist Kareem Weaver in Oakland, California.
Over the four-year period, two African American families welcomed film crews into their homes to document their commitment to teaching their children to read.
In the film Teresa and Isiah Hunter of Virginia Beach showcase their success with the Grow Smart LENA START classes. The Hunters enrolled in the free class in 2018 when their daughter, Ivy was two months old. The 10-week program helps support language development, recognizing letters and sounds.
“It’s amazing when a family lets a team into their lives, into their homes to share their story,” Mackenzie said. “It takes a lot of trust, and it takes a lot of courage. They are now an inspiration to so many families across the country.”
Teresa called the program ‘life-changing’ and she now teaches the LENA START classes.
“It came naturally to me because my mom was a teacher,” Teresa Hunter said. “This is what I love to do.”
Mackenzie believes the city of Virginia Beach’s healthy families programs is a progressive approach to addressing the crisis.
“It’s an amazing start and it really can set kids up for success,” Mackenzie said. “But when kids get into schools, if schools aren’t using research and evidence that is a part of their reading curriculum, kids are still facing dismal outcomes.”
Her hope with the passage of the Virginia Literacy Act is to also create accountability among school leaders and educators. The film aims to be a ‘catalyst for conversation’ and push for evidence-based literacy curriculum.
The Hunters recently returned from the Harlem Film Festival in New York. This week, the family will attend several local screenings of the film.
Want to watch?
Free public screenings:
- Thursday, June 1 at 6 p.m. at Norfolk State University, Brown Hall
- Saturday, June 3 at 10 a.m. Zeiders American Dream Theater in Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer and Councilmembers Jennifer Rouse and Chris Taylor are scheduled to attend a private screening Friday afternoon.
Filmmakers are working to have the Right to Read documentary distributed widely. Right now, it can be purchased for educational non-profit organizations and schools.