Read to Achieve Book Tour: Encouraging Youth Literacy

By Attiyya Atkins

It’s time for kids to get out of their phones and into the books, said rapper and local leader Travis Gammage, also known as T Dogg. T Dogg hosted the second annual Read to Achieve book tour with its first stop at Deerfield Park Elementary in March. He teamed up with Sybrina Fulton of the Trayvon Martin foundation, Pastor Pelt, Mr. Sands, and community leader Terry Scott. The book fair is unlike the traditional scholastic book fair.

“Now, I do less donating to little league football and more donating to education, because the chance of everyone getting into the NFL is very slim,” said T Dogg. “But if I can put knowledge and education in them, it’s major.”

The book fair was started by T Dogg’s son, Trayven Gammage, who is now in the third grade at Deerfield Park Elementary. Last year, Trayven helped a few of his friends by buying them books at the book fair. That act of kindness was the catalyst for the Read to Achieve Book Tour.

Unlike the Scholastic book fair, students can pick out books that they would like to read, and T Dogg and his partners will pay the bill. Nearly 100 kids received free books at the book tours first stop. Trayven and his father plan to take the book to other schools in Deerfield and Pompano Beach, including Markham Elementary, Sanders Park Elementary, Pompano Elementary and others.

Trayven said the event is important because giving back is important to him and “reading helps you learn more.” He likes to read in class and at night. He hopes his peers develop a passion for reading like him.

Some of the books at the fair like “We Shall Overcome” by Bryan Collins and “I Promise” by Lebron James, teach a message of uplifting the black community, which community activist Terry Scott says Governor Ron DeSantis doesn’t want to see in our schools.

“I’m glad to see that our kids are picking up books like this,” community activist Tery Scott said, “We shall overcome, what a statement… It shows that we may have little hurdles, but we will get through them together… and thank God for those who are supporting a worthy cause such as this.”

Sybrina Fulton, partner in the Read to Achieve Book Tour, enjoyed helping the kids. “Today was one of those feel-good moments, when you can help out kids, it makes us feel good as adults,” she said. “Reading is fundamental so why not help out our own community and help out our own kids.”