Black History Month has coincided with the Mavericks’ Reading Challenge presented by Whataburger.
And there may have been no more meaningful message about the power of literacy than what the author of the book “Liberty’s Civil Rights Road Trip” showed an enthusiastic group of kids at Adelle Turner Elementary School on Wednesday.
Michael W. Waters was answering questions from the 6- and 7-year-olds about the book and its meaning along with Mavericks’ legend Rolando Blackman. Then, Waters showed everyone a sign that used to hang in a train station in the ‘60s.
It simply read: Restrooms.
And underneath that were two words: White and Colored.
Under White was an arrow pointing to the left. Under Colored was an arrow pointing to the right.
“They couldn’t go to the restroom together,” Waters said. “Kids couldn’t go to a restaurant together. They had to go to different schools.
“Would you like to live in a world like that?”
That was met with a resounding “Nooooooo” from the kids.
Nothing can replace hands-on mentorship. That much was clear as Blackman, who was an anchor for the Mavericks in the 1980s and remains a fixture in their community-relations department, read Waters’ book to the auditorium of kids at Adelle Turner.
The youngsters were treated to inside information from the author – as well as stories from Blackman about growing up in Panama and learning to read in two languages.
“Every morning, the first three hours of school were spent learning English,” said Blackman, who speaks fluent Spanish in addition to perfect English.
His message to the kids at the Dallas Independent School District school in south Dallas was to never forget the importance of knowing how to communicate. And being able to read (and write) is vital to that.
“You have an opportunity to be smarter when you leave a conversation,” Blackman said. “Be not afraid to stand up and ask a question. If you don’t understand something, ask.”
Blackman also knows that the generation of the 2020s is a bit different than the one he grew up in or even from the early part of this century.
“It’s OK to have your street speak,” he said. “It’s OK to do that with your friends when you’re just hanging out. But you also have to be able to express yourself and show that you can answer a telephone correctly and politely. Or read a menu and be able to explain it to people. Knowledge is critical and reading takes you there.
“All kids need the proper avenue to be able to move forward. This is one of the most important programs that the Mavs have to be able to get these kids to open different books and read for 20 minutes a day. It’s going to help you immensely.”
In an effort to improve literacy throughout the Dallas region, the Mavericks and Whataburger’s Feeding Student Success initiative is challenging students to read 20 minutes a day through March 8. All participants who log 20 minutes a day for at least 40 days will have the chance to receive a Whataburger certificate of completion, a free Whataburger Jr. and a Mavs’ swag bag.
The top 20 readers will receive tickets to a Mavericks’ game and the No. 1 reader will receive a mascot visit to their classroom, along with Mavericks and Whataburger gear.
Waters, who lives in Dallas and has three degrees from SMU, was a surprise guest for the kids at Wednesday’s reading. And he brought along his daughter, Liberty, who is the star of the book that Blackman read to the kids. Yes, it’s based on the experiences of Liberty, who said she remembers parts of the trip that took her (and takes readers) through important venues and milestones in the civil rights fight.
Her father said that having her and other young people involved in the trip made it more enlightening for everybody.
“Our children have been some of our greatest teachers in life,” Waters said. “Seeing life through their lens has expanded my understanding. When we had this experience, having young people take part in it, opened my eyes to things that had been hidden in plain sight.
“I felt so responsible to share that. I’ve been amazed with how it (the book) has resonated near and far. It’s important we remember the stories and the sacrifices.”
It has been so acclaimed that it was featured at the Library of Congress in Washington last summer.
“I can’t express the level of joy I have in introducing young people to these individuals, these places and these stories,” Waters said. “Education is so vitally important. And we know that, because of COVID, some of our children are still catching up. And the teachers are key. Literacy is the door to knowledge.”
And then, he told the kids: “It’s important for us to remember that a lot of people worked very hard so that we can have the opportunities we have. My hope is that you will learn as much as you can about these people who came forward and the work that they did.”
X: @ESefko
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