Detroit’s Black Reading Month

I remember watching movies like Roots in my youth and being so moved by the passion and desire our ancestors—enslaved people—had for reading. While I thought I loved reading, I realized their longing was much deeper.

The risk of being caught learning to read could have been enough to stop many, but it didn’t. They knew that reading was the key to knowledge, power, and freedom. Today, the ability to read is expected of all of us, and in this we have come a long way from where our ancestors once were.

Yet, the challenge now is not whether we can read, but whether we choose to read deeply, to gain knowledge, and to walk in the power it gives us. I once came across sobering statistics about how few people regularly read books, and I searched for updated numbers, hoping for improvement. Sadly, while literacy rates are high, the number of people who actually read consistently remains low.

This has taken a toll on long-form journalism, bookstores, newspapers, and magazines, all of which feel the impact of fewer readers. And while the internet provides short bursts of information through videos, essays, and social media, something is lost when we move away from sustained reading.

For me, audiobooks have helped me stay connected to books, and I look forward to the day when my eyesight returns, so I can once again read words directly from the page. I used to hear the words in my head as I read silently, but when my sight is restored, I will read aloud. There’s something powerful about giving voice to written words. The first book I will do that with is the Bible. Among all the books I own, it is by far the deepest.

So this month, in honor of Detroit’s Black Reading Month, I encourage you to take time to read—and even more, to read aloud. Do it in memory of those ancestors who risked everything for the gift of literacy, not just for the act of reading itself, but for the knowledge and freedom that reading represents.

Author: Delphia Simmons

Delphia Simmons, Founder of Thrive Detroit, dedicated to amplifying voices and fostering community through storytelling.