Black Child Development celebrates Read To Succeed, spotlights nationally known author, emerging Iowa voices
DES MOINES —
Iowa native Don Tate jokes that people often ask if he was born with a pencil in hand.
It would explain a lot.
Tate, raised in Des Moines, has 90 published books to his name as both a writer and illustrator with a four-decade career in book publishing and newspapers, including stints as a graphic journalist with The Des Moines Register and Austin American-Statesman.
“I can’t remember a day in my life when I wasn’t drawing pictures,” Tate said.
Now living in Austin, Texas, where he earned the 2021 Texas Writer Award at the Texas Book Festival, Tate returned to his roots and keynoted the Black Child Development Institute-organized Read to Succeed Luncheon this afternoon honoring King Elementary School students in Des Moines involved in a year-spanning program aimed at boosting a love of reading.
Tate, an alum of the Des Moines Public Schools and Des Moines Area Community College, told several dozen elementary school students and their families, as well as other supporters of reading and the school system, that he had early inspiration as an artist.
“I wanted to be just like Jim Henson because I liked making puppets, too,” Tate said, referencing the late creator of “The Muppets.”
Tate told the grade schoolers that “everybody is born with their own special talents.”
He also encouraged the students to read.
“When you read, you learn about other people who don’t look like you,” Tate said.
BCDI-Iowa has been doing work at King Elementary to help improve literacy rates, along with providing children with free books, giving away winter hats, socks, and gloves to every student (and coats, as needed), according to a news release from the organization.
According to BCDI, 48 percent of Des Moines Public Schools students are not reading at grade level, with many coming from homes where English is not the primary language.
“The African proverb ‘It takes a village to raise a child’ means an entire community must participate in a child’s growth and development,” said Dr. Anita Fleming-Rife, president of BDCI-Iowa. “That’s what we have with us today. We have a village. We have come out to show love and support to the children in our community, the children in our village.”
The event was hosted by Black Child Development Institute-Iowa (BCDI-Iowa) and Reach Out and Read-Midwest (serving Iowa and Nebraska).
One of the leaders in attendance was Des Moines schools Superintendent Matt Smith. Smith said having an accomplished and nationally recognized alum of the Des Moines schools in Tate inspired him, as did the full celebration.
“I think it represents the heart of Des Moines and the community of Des Moines and the importance of an entire village gathered around our kids to impress upon them the significance of reading and how foundational it is to who they are as people,” Smith said in an interview with The Iowa Mercury.
Talented young people showcased published works during the luncheon.
Saily Bah, 13, of Urbandale, talked with well-wishers, and eager readers, about her published book “Rise Above: How To Turn A Negative Situation Into A Positive One.” She illustrated her own book as well.
She wrote the book at age 11.
“I experienced an act of racism at school and I felt horrible,” Saily said. “I know many people go through this. So I just had to create something that people can benefit from so they can learn how to cope with negative situations.”
The book is available in a number if places, including her Facebook page. It’s also on Amazon.
About The Iowa Mercury
(Douglas Burns, founder of The Iowa Mercury and a fourth-generation Iowa journalist from Carroll, is a member of the Iowa Writers’ Collaborative. Read dozens of the most talented writers in Iowa in just one place. The Iowa Writers’ Collaborative spans the full state. It’s one of the biggest things going in Iowa journalism and writing now — and you don’t want to miss. This collaborative is — as the outstanding Quad Cities journalist Ed Tibbetts says — YOUR SUNDAY IOWA newspaper. )
Uplifting article. Saily’s book will be my next directed library gift for purchase and shelved in my local library Thanks Doug.
BCDI-Iowa does so much for the kids at King Elementary and author/illustrator Don Tate does so much to inspire kids to read through his educational books. Thanks so much for covering this event, Doug.