Our Story
Imagine two Mommas, like many of you reading this, who birthed a vision.
A vision rooted in the wisdom of their grandmothers.
A vision shaped by their own lived experiences.
A vision nurtured by a village of amazing humans.
A vision of Black children feeling valued, seen and loved.
A vision of unraveling myths and reclaiming narratives about Black men.
A vision of an entire community working together collaboratively.
A vision in which storytelling would transform hearts, minds, and the way we think about learning.
This is the future that Black Men Read’s founders, Tamara Tucker Ibarisha and Yodit Mesfin Johnson, set out to create.
The idea sparked years ago, after a teacher in our children’s school asked Yodit if she knew any Black men who could read during story time. Yodit reached out to Tamara and we agreed that there was something more here. The need for curriculum and programs that centered our kids’ identities, experiences, and history was long overdue. We knew about the ‘achievement gaps’ and the school to prison pipeline. We were not going to stand by while our community’s beloved children — especially Black and Brown kiddos – were failed by the education system. And we could disrupt the myth about Black men’s engagement with their families and communities at the same time.
In 2016, we began hosting small reading events for kids after school and on Saturday mornings. The community got behind us immediately. Families of all identities praised the mission of honoring and normalizing Blackness in our beloved community. And so we began to grow! In our first year, we launched monthly reads at our local bookstore and an after school. Year two led to multiple reading sites, including partnerships with all of our local libraries and the only Black bookstore in our community. And in the past couple years, we’ve been proud to donate more than three thousand books to local families.
In 2020, like so many others, we took our program virtual. But that hasn’t stopped our growth. Since the pandemic and shift to online learning, our virtual reads have been viewed over twenty thousand times! We’re delighted to lean into virtual programs and have recruited an amazing group of volunteers – our Reader Corps – to deliver the BMR magic online. For those who are more analog though (yes, there was a time before tablets, Junior!), we’re launching the BMR Kids Club Kits. These subscription boxes that bring Black books and the magic of BMR right to your door! And of course, plenty of swag so you can rep for our tribe while on the go!
Thanks for joining our tribe! We look forward to transforming learning and reading together!
BMR is a Fiscally Sponsored Project of NEW.
