Greater Memphis Media Celebrates Black History Month Promoting Literacy at Little Flower School

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Feb. 22, 2017 - PRLog -- Greater Memphis Media (GMM) has partnered with St. Therese Little Flower Primary School to celebrate Black History Month with the I Love Reading Initiative. On Thursday, February 23^rd the Founder and CEO of GMM, Brian Clay, GMM Board Chair Carla Stotts-Hills, GMM Board Member/Best-Selling Author/Former Food Network Co-Host of "Down Home with the Neely's" Gina Neely, Shelby County Commissioner Van Turner, as well as students from LeMoyne Owen College, Rhodes College, and several others will read to the students and present the school with brand new books to promote and encourage literacy within the Memphis community. The readers will begin sharing their amazing tails at 12 p.m. The school is located at 1666 Jackson Ave, Memphis, TN 38107 inside the historic St. Therese Catholic Church.

St. Therese Little Flower Primary School is a Jubilee school that re-opened in 2001 after operating from 1930 - 1985. The private school has approximately 90 students in grades Pre-K – 3. It operates year-round with a rigorous curriculum that challenges students and instills in them that service and giving back to the community is important. The fees are on a sliding scale and tuition is determined by the parents'/guardians' ability to pay.They also offer need-based tuition scholarships.

According to the National Institute for Literacy, 21% of the population in Tennessee is on a level one reading level and it is estimated that 130,000 people are not functionally literate in the Memphis community. Brian Clay, the founder/CEO, of Greater Memphis Media wanted to do something to try and change this. The I Love Reading Initiative is intended to spark an interest and a love of reading early that will follow the students' throughout their lives. "Literacy is a part of everything you do. If a person can't read they have placed severe limitations on how far they can progress in life. We want the students at Little Flower and other schools to surpass functional reading skills and excel to professional literacy which can greatly enhance marketability and their ability to secure a good future for themselves, their family, and the community in which they live," said Clay.

The principal of St. Therese Little Flower Primary School, Tunia Caston Sangster, thinks the I Love Reading Initiative is a great idea.  "Brian came out the school last year and read to the students. He made the story exciting by reading clearly with inflection and enthusiasm. The students saw that it can be fun to read. It made them want to read more and read to each other to practice their reading. Seeing men and women who look like them read inspires them to do better," she said. "We are glad he wants to come back and bring friends. They need to see more of their own being successful. They need to see it's okay to speak proper English. Reading is an everlasting journey. You can go wherever you want to go if you can read. This initiative will help our students desire to develop the level of reading they should have," Principal Sangster adds.

Greater Memphis Media will also present 13 new books entitled, "Chocolate Me!" by actor Taye Diggs (The Best Man, How Stella Got Her Groove Back, Brown Sugar, The Wood, etc.) to the school. This will allow the students to not only see African Americans in their community reading but read books with African Americans characters in them that are designed to foster self-love and pride.

For more information about the I Love Reading Initiative, call Greater Memphis Media at 901.801.0096.

###

About Greater Memphis Media

Greater Memphis Media, Inc. is a 501(c)3 Non Partisan, Social Justice Media Company founded by Brian Clay, the host of The Brian Clay Chronicles. The a one-hour show engages the Mid South's best thinkers, writers, politicians, athletes, entertainers, business leaders, scientists, and other stake holders in one-on-one interviews and roundtable discussions. Brian has dedicated himself to contributing to his community through an emphasis on political action and education, using media mediums and exploring social entrepreneurial opportunities as a vehicle of elevating people from all economic backgrounds. Brian Clay battles stage four kidney failure and attends dialysis regularly. However, he refuses to let that stop him from his dream and helping the City of Memphis, which he loves dearly. Learn more about Greater Memphis Media http://www.facebook.com/GreaterMemphisMedia.