The spirit of community was alive and thriving at the Books & Treats LiteracyCelebration, held onHalloween at the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Center.
Hosted by the Institute of Research for SocialJustice in Action (IRSJA) in collaboration with One Hood WENS, the City of Birmingham’s Office of Community SafetyInitiatives, and the Birmingham Parks and Recreation Department, the event brought together more than 400 residents for a day filled with fun, family, and reading — proving that when one hood wins, everybody wins.
While the event looked and felt like a joyful Halloween celebration, it carried a deeper mission: to promote literacy as a pathway to peace. The Books & Treats initiative is part of Birmingham’s broader violence reduction strategy, rooted in the belief that real safety begins with education, connection, and opportunity.
A Movement Rooted in Healing and Hope
The Books & Treats celebration builds on the success of the Rise Up Birmingham Initiative, a summerpartnership between IRSJA and Miles College that engaged local youth, students, and community members in leadershipdevelopment, healing, and workforce readiness…