Literacy Unlocked 

The American Dream is built on a tried-and-true foundation: education and the willingness to put in the work. This World Literacy Day we must recognize the importance of prompting literacy among all ages to empower others to accomplish their own American Dream.  

In the United States today, one in five Americans struggle to read basic sentences. If a mother is unable to help her child with their homework because they struggle with reading, a cycle of low literacy is likely to continue. Breaking this cycle will not only empower one generation but will have a lasting impact on multigenerational families.  

In a recent op-ed in The Hill, LEAD Founder Mike Rogers, and CEO of the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy, British Robinson, explained how literacy has a massive effect on the economy—developing literacy among adults allows for jobs to be filled throughout the United States.  

“Literacy isn’t just about words and sentences: It’s about opportunity. It’s about closing economic and social gaps. And it’s about the communities so often left behind. The states and regions hardest hit by low literacy are Southern states, metro areas and notably, communities with significant or majority African American and Hispanic American neighborhoods.” – Mike Rogers and British Robinson 

Literacy unlocks American’s potential—allowing hardworking people to gain access to the next level of their lives. Once literacy is ensured, the American Dream is unstoppable.