Marjorie McIver was already standing behind the tables of pizza and snack bags when my wife and I arrived at the Conway library. She had that familiar look on her face, a determined smile that made it clear she meant business, the kind I’ve seen countless Black women wear when it’s time to get to work educating and loving on children.
It was a Saturday morning just a couple of weeks ago. The light lunch was for the few dozen people (mostly kids) in a small room in the library. We had gathered as part of the annual summer literacy program McIver had helped found years ago.
The program was created to teach young participants, from elementary through high school, about African American history and connect them with the area’s rich Gullah-Geechee heritage. The kids will be reading and discussing books with mentors and family members throughout the summer and create a multimedia reading project. My wife and I were there to give short presentations and represent local authors who could personify literacy’s importance…