Literacy is a blanket term for the ability to read, speak, and comprehend a language at a
certain level. It is such an important topic for both the Maryland Book Bank and the City of
Baltimore at large. When we think about literacy we think about children, their development, and
the access they have to resources that allow for said development. The Book Bank is a key
player in building bridges in areas of Baltimore where literacy infrastructure is scarce. Literacy is
about repetition, patience, and outcomes. It requires a great deal of attention, especially when it
comes to youth because the earlier the intervention, the more advantage that child will have in
their future. Building up the next generation of readers and eventual changemakers is extremely
important, on a larger scale for humanity's sake.
Historically, literacy in some areas of Baltimore starkly contrasts other, wealthier and
whiter areas. One can draw a connection between the resources that schools in white areas
have and those in prominently black areas. But why is resource allotment so different from area
to area, is there a reason? Yes, there is a reason, called redlining. Firstly, redlining, a practice
starkly used in the City of Baltimore, is a “racial discrimination of any kind in housing, originally
coming from government maps that outlined areas where Black residents lived”(Toval).
Redlining deems these areas as risky for investment making it difficult for infrastructure and
other resources to get funding needed to increase the standard of living. The essentially
segregated urban policies have invoked cycles
of poverty that have continued today.
From the Interaction Institute of Social
Change, the image to the right describes the
difference between equality and equity. Yes,
society today is mostly equal where everyone
is treated similarly but there is a lack when it
comes to equity. Equality is the idea that
people receive based on their needs. In
Baltimore today, the systematic racism from
redlining has created an inequitable
environment in which discrimination.
At its core, the Book Bank is a driving
force against redlining and its impacts.
Because redlining strips predominantly black
areas of funding and resources, the Book Bank combats its effects by providing resources to
communities in need. The Books that the Book Bank distributes allow children access to critical
reading skills early in their development. The impact that the Book Bank has on children is
lifelong. The ability to read has the power to uplift society and potentially change the trajectory
of a child's life. Redlining may be a pressing issue facing Baltimore that needs to be addressed,
however, the Book Bank is a frontline advocate against it.
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