KENOSHA, Wis. — Thirty community leaders and local youth are scheduled to participate in the annual African American Read-In 1 p.m. Saturday at the Kenosha Public Museum.
“We have children readers. We have adult readers. We have a wide representation of people here,” said Adelene Greene, a founding member of Kenosha Coalition for Dismantling Racism.
“Be they black. Be they white. Be they Hispanic. This is open to everybody. We invite everybody to come to the Read-In.”
The African American Read-In is a national celebration that started in 1990 by the Black Caucus of the Council of Teachers of English.
Former Kenosha librarian Doris Kazell informed local churches of the Read-In.
Bradford Community Church and Second Missionary Baptist started their own events to honor literacy and kick off Black History Month.
When the Kenosha Public Museum suggested they combine their events and invite the community, Kenosha’s African American Read-In was born.
Kenosha author Ri’ana Johnson was last year’s keynote speaker. She plans on giving a preview of her newest book “We are the Community” on Saturday.
“To know of new African American authors and to share that experience with people in your community (and) meet new people, is powerful,” Johnson said.
This year’s event honors the life and legacy of singer and actor Harry Belafonte. The program features a video of the time Belafonte appeared on “The Muppet Show.”
“I’m old enough to remember the show,” said Doug Dammann, Curator and Site Coordinator at Kenosha’s Civil War Museum.
“And through the power of Apple TV, kids I think today are rediscovering that program.”
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