God placed brilliance in these boys. We're here to make sure Chicago sees it — one reader at a time.
The numbers were impossible to ignore. Across Chicago, nearly two in three Black boys could not read at grade level by the end of third grade. Not because they weren't brilliant — they were. But brilliance without access, without a champion, without someone who shows up and says your story matters — that brilliance goes unseen. We could not walk away from that.
We are a faith community rooted on the South Side of Chicago, connected to Salem Baptist Church. We believe the Church exists not just for Sunday mornings but for the six other days of the week — for the block, the classroom, and the family table. When we looked at our neighborhood and saw these boys struggling, we didn't wait for a grant. We answered a call.
Literacy is not just an academic milestone — it is liberation. A boy who can read can understand his rights, his history, and his worth. He can write his own future instead of having one written for him. The Chicago Black Boy Literacy Campaign was born from the conviction that 1,000 boys, armed with books and surrounded by men who believe in them, can change the trajectory of 1,000 families — and a whole city.
“We didn't start this because it was easy. We started it because these boys are worth it — and the Church had to say so first.”
What We're Made Of
These aren't talking points. They're the commitments we make to every boy, every family, every day.
Before any program or curriculum, there is Christ. We build these boys on a foundation that no circumstance can shake — teaching them who they are in God before the world tries to tell them otherwise. Faith isn't a footnote here. It's the ground we stand on.
Every boy needs to see a man who looks like him and believes in him — a man who shows up, walks alongside him, and refuses to let him settle. Our mentors aren't volunteers filling a slot; they're brothers, uncles, and fathers answering a call. Relationship is the program.
A boy who sees himself as the hero of the story starts to believe he can write his own. We put books in their hands where boys like them explore, lead, and win — because representation on the page changes what a child dares to imagine for himself.
Reading by 3rd grade isn't just an academic milestone — it's a gateway. Our targeted literacy programs give boys the skills, tools, and daily practice to decode any page, master any subject, and walk into any room ready. These boys aren't behind. They just needed someone to invest.
The Journey
Here's exactly what happens when a family says yes. No mystery, no waitlists, no barriers — just four clear steps from enrollment to celebration.
A parent enrolls their son, or a caring community member nominates a boy they believe in. Registration is free, fast, and one of the most important things you can do for a boy in your life.
Every boy is matched with a mentor from the community — a man who looks like him, believes in him, and commits to showing up week after week. That relationship changes everything.
Boys participate in guided reading sessions built around books that reflect their lives. They don't just borrow books — they keep them, building a library of their own.
When a boy reaches his reading milestone, the whole community celebrates him. He is seen, recognized, and affirmed — because he earned it, and because he was always worth it.
Our boys have the brilliance. They just need us to show up.
1 in 3 won't reach grade level — unless we act right now.
These boys walk into rooms full of potential, full of promise — and we refuse to let the world miss it. The Chicago Black Boy Literacy Campaign exists to help 1,000 Black boys in 1st through 3rd grade read at grade level and own the page. When a child can read, his whole world opens up. When a community rallies around him, nothing can stop him. This is your invitation to be part of that.
Every Role Matters
Whether you have money, time, or a son who needs this — there is a seat at this table with your name on it. Here's where you fit in.
For Supporters
Every dollar you give goes directly to books that boys keep forever, mentor training that strengthens the whole community, and reading events where boys are celebrated. This is not a handout — it is seed money for a generation of readers.
Invest in a Black Boy100% of donations fund books, mentors and reading events
For Families
In this program, your son is not a statistic to be fixed — he is a brilliant boy to be celebrated. He will be matched with a mentor who looks like him, read books that reflect his world, and be cheered across a finish line by an entire community that showed up just for him.
Register Your SonSpots are limited — registration is free
For Community Men
Mentorship is not complicated — it is consistent. Just two hours a week, sitting across from a first, second, or third grader who needs a man in his corner. You bring your time. We bring the training, the books, and the framework. Together, we give a boy something he will carry for the rest of his life.
Answer the CallJust 2 hours a week can change a boy’s life
