Boys In the Hood Book Club

The literacy program helps bridge the huge gap in literacy rates between boys and girls. Statistics show that girls fare 75% better than their male counter parts with regard to language arts and reading comprehension. This problem is multidimensional in that the adverse effects are urgent and if not reconciled will have long term effects for a variety of reasons.

There is a correlation between the literacy and the school to prison pipeline. Most young boys who enter into a life of crime started with having problems in school. Rarely will we find a young boy who is literate and well adjusted in school participating in activities that will lure him into criminal activity. It is urgent that we combat this issue and the public schools are not equipped to take on this problem that haunt our young boys alone. There is a certain level of care and community that is required to confront this relentless trend. Schools don’t have the time or the capacity to patiently pour into these young men as would a community stakeholder.

These young boys are expected to be leaders in their families and communities and they need to be literate. They also need to be equally yoked to their female counterparts if the institution of marriage is considered.

This Literacy Program is part of the basis for community development and though it meets an immediate need the effects will be realized for decades. Each generation came with their own set of problems, literacy seems to be an ongoing issue. It is time to break the cycle.