Sixth annual African-American Read-In

Gloria Holmes, associate professor, curriculum & instruction, 319-273-2007, gloria.holmes@uni.edu

Lindsay Cunningham, Office of University Relations, 319-273-6728, lindsay.cunningham@uni.edu

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa -- The University of Northern Iowa College of Education's annual African-American Read-In will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 23, at Malcolm Price Laboratory School (MPLS), Iowa's Research and Development School.

More than 425 students from elementary schools in Waterloo, along with MPLS will be in attendance. University students from various education classes and student organizations will participate in this event. According to Gloria Kirkland Holmes, associate professor of curriculum and instruction at UNI, "A focus on reading and sharing of African-American books by African-American authors and illustrators makes this a special day for all in attendance."

The storyteller for this event, Nothando Zulu, has been telling African and African-American folktales nationally for more than 15 years. She is president and director of the Black Storytellers Alliance, a nonprofit organization committed to maintaining the African oral storytelling tradition. Jan Spivey Gilchrist, author and illustrator, will share her stories about how she got into her profession, as well as some of her stories and drawings. Gilchrist is nationally known for her work and has received many awards. Recently "The Great Migration: Journey to the North," illustrated by Gilchrist, was named a 2012 Coretta Scott King Honor Book.

The 23^rd National African-American Read-In is sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and endorsed by the International Reading Association. The program's goal is to make the celebration of African-American literacy a traditional part of Black History Month activities. More than 1 million readers from all ethnic groups participate in the National African-American Read-In each year.

For more information, contact Holmes at 319-273-2007 or gloria.holmes@uni.edu.