In celebration of Literacy Week and in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Service Day, Dr. Ronald E. McNair Public School 5 P.S. 5 in Bedford-Stuyvesant on Tuesday kicked off its Light Up for Literacy reading program, a weeklong initiative designed to foster a love of reading among students.
The program featured activities such as peer read-alongs, literacy hero cosplay and reading pledges and a festive tree lighting ceremony, according to a press release.
“We have a wonderful literacy program here at P.S. 5,” said Principal Lena Gates. “We want children to light up when they think about books. We are decorating a tree recently donated to us by 500 Men Making a Difference, with books and lights so children can make that connection between the light that books can bring to their lives.”
As part of the celebration, award-winning journalist and television personality Cheryl Wills participated in the school’s author showcase. Wills read passages from her illustrated children’s book Emma and presented students with autographed copies. Emma tells the story of Wills' great-great-great-grandmother, who, despite being born into slavery, fought for her freedom and literacy.
Wills, whose books celebrate the legacy of her enslaved ancestor Sandy Wills—a Civil War veteran who died in 1889—also shared video clips from a 2024 60 Minutes segment covering her efforts to have Sandy exhumed and reburied with full military honors.
When asked why she wrote Emma, Wills shared an emotional story about how, despite being unable to read, Emma Wills demanded that her former enslaver record the names of her nine children in a Bible, commending her for standing on her power despite being enslaved.
The evening concluded with a tree lighting ceremony, where students received books from their wish lists and pledged to read more.
“Our goal is to encourage children to read more and build libraries at home. We want to encourage them to share information and become authors and leaders," said Gates.
