"I've seen kids who probably had never read books . . . being engrossed in books within a community of support."

--David Kirkland, Co-Chair, NCTE/CCCC Black Caucus

In this video, David Kirkland shares examples of how the African American Read-In (AARI) has influenced participants and communities over the years. The AARI celebrated its 25th year in 2014.

Celebrated throughout the month of February, an African American Read-In can be as simple as bringing together friends to share a book, or as elaborate as arranging public readings and media presentations that feature professional African American writers.

Learn more about

the history of the Read-In, hosting a Read-In, and our new toolkit with badges, bookmarks, graphics, articles, and other resources. 

See these booklists of recommended titles to use with your Read-In:

NCTE 2015 Convention Attendees Favorites 
AARI Frequently Read Books 
Supplemental List for Young Adults and Adults 
Supplemental List for Young Children 
The Farrell J. Chiles Collection

NCTE Member Ezra Hyland Talks about Kids,
Reading, and the AARI
Tune in to Education Talk Radio on Wednesday, January 27, at noon ET to hear NCTE member Ezra Hyland, teaching specialist with the University of Minnesota and host of a local African American Read-In, talk about "Connecting Kids to Literature and the African American Read-In."

Celebrate African American Writers throughout February
Literacy & NCTE Blog, January 24, 2016

To See Ourselves in Books
Literacy & NCTE Blog, January 6, 2015  

See NCTE's Resolution on the Need for Diverse Children's and Young Adult Books   

Black History Month Ideas from NCTE
School Library Journal, January 15, 2016

Include photos of your event and use the #aari16 hashtag so others can follow along!

Tell Us about Your Event!
So we can update our listing of local events, please submit the details of your Read-In.

A Chance to Make Real Connections in Kokomo
The director of the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library plans to make community connections with Black History Month events, including an African American Read-In.  Kokomo Tribune, January 25, 2016 

Your Vote Is Needed!

This month NCTE members have an opportunity to ratify two resolutions that were approved by members attending the Annual Business Meeting during the Annual Convention in Minneapolis last November. All members have received email messages that include instructions on voting for the Resolution on Student Educational Data Privacy and Security and the Resolution on Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline. Please see your email for a message from NCTE with a link to your ballot, and vote today!

New Statements from CCCC

Share these new statements from the Conference on College Composition and Communication with your students and colleagues:

• CCCC Statement on Preparing Teachers of College Writing  
• CCCC Promotion and Tenure Guidelines for Work with Technology  
• CCCC Statement of Professional Guidance for New Faculty Members 

January Journals Available Online

Subscribers can view their January journals online: Language Arts, English Journal, College English, and English Education. Select articles in each are open to all for a limited time. Did you know that while subscribers can see the most recent issues of their journals online, all NCTE members have access to the archive of every NCTE journal issue that is older than two years old?

Submit an Article to One of NCTE's Journals

Calls for manuscripts have been issued by the editors of several NCTE journals; see below for journal name, publication month, theme, and deadline (all in 2016). Submissions are also encouraged for other NCTE journals: College Composition and Communication, College English, English Education, Research in the Teaching of English, and Teaching English in the Two-Year College. 

Language Arts

• March 2017: "Viewpoints and Visions," March 15
• May 2017: "Trauma, Loss, and Literacies," May 15
• July 2017: "Poetry," July 15

Talking Points 

• October 2016: "Critical Issues in Whole Language," May 1 

Voices from the Middle

• December 2016: "Who Are Middle Level Kids?," March 1
• March 2017: "Culturally Responsive Teaching within Middle Grades," June 1
• May 2017: "What's Next in Teaching Reading," August 1 

English Journal 

• November 2016: "Visible Teaching: Open Doors as Resistance," March 15 
• January 2017: "Reading and Composing Digital Video," May 15
• March 2017: "'Beyond the Dream': Black Textual Expressivities between the World and Me," July 15

English Leadership Quarterly

• August 2016: "Approaches to Social Justice in the ELA Classroom," May 15
• October 2016: "Connected Reading," July 15