As a child growing up in New York City, I could always find escape and comfort in books. I didn’t know it then, but those stories would become my compass, guiding me through adversity, identity, and inequality. Today, as the founder of Read It and Leave It, I work to offer that same compass to children in Harlem by bringing books directly to them at playgrounds, public schools, and community centers.
This isn’t just about literacy. It’s about justice.
Nationwide, roughly one in three children reads below grade level by fourth grade. In low-income communities like Harlem, the disparity is even wider. At one local elementary school where I was placed through a mentor, more than 70 percent of students need one-on-one academic support, and more than half live in homeless shelters. These students are not broken. They are underserved.
Our response must begin with access.
Access to books that reflect their lives. Access to safe spaces where learning feels joyful. Access to people who believe in their potential.
Read It and Leave It began with me setting up a blanket and a box of books in NYC parks. Today, we organize monthly literacy pop-ups with art and play-based reading activities, partnering with groups like Harlem Grown, Union Settlement, and NYCHA tenant associations. Our events are free and open to all. Kids leave with books they’ve chosen themselves — books where they see their names, neighborhoods, and dreams represented.
More Than Access to Books
We’ve distributed thousands of books and served hundreds of children, but more important than the numbers are the stories. One mother shared that her son, who usually avoids books, now insists on reading every night with the flashlight he received in our “Books & Bedtime” bundle. A school principal told me our program sparked new enthusiasm for reading among her most reluctant learners.
This isn’t charity. It’s equity.
Equity means shifting the model — from asking families to come to institutions, to meeting them where they are. From focusing on test scores to nurturing a lifelong love of learning. It means investing in joy as much as rigor.
Our volunteers — mostly educators, artists, and BIPOC professionals — create affirming, culturally conscious spaces where literacy isn’t just academic; it’s personal. Our book selection centers on stories by and about people of color. Our guest readers are authors who look like our kids. That representation matters. According to a 2023 report by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, less than 30 percent of children’s books feature a protagonist of color. We aim to change that.
Bridging the Literacy Gap as a Community — What You Can Do
We know that closing the literacy gap isn’t a one-time fix — it’s a community effort. That’s why we’re expanding our Family Reading Support Program to help caregivers build literacy-rich homes. Because every child deserves more than homework help — they deserve a village that reads with them.
Still, we need more than grassroots action. We need systemic change.
We need libraries in every public school. We need policies that fund culturally responsive teaching. We need more collaboration between government agencies, nonprofits, and families to make reading feel relevant, accessible, and fun.
If you’re wondering how to help, start local. Support organizations that are putting books into kids’ hands. Host a book drive, donate new titles by BIPOC authors, or show up to read at your local school or park. These are simple, powerful ways to invest in the next generation.
Because when we help a child fall in love with reading, we aren’t just helping them master a skill—we’re giving them the tools to imagine, question, and rewrite their future.
How to Help
Read It and Leave It creates an immersive approach to personal growth and literacy development that goes beyond traditional education. Donations allow the organization to continue its programming that centers around cultivating home libraries and integrating dynamic, art- and play-infused literacy activities into community and school programs.
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Miosha Randolph-Johnson is the founder of Read It and Leave It, a Harlem-based literacy equity project that partners with schools, libraries, and community organizations to bring culturally conscious books and literacy activities to underserved youth. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration and a BA in English Literature & Education, and has over 15 years of experience in education, case management, and nonprofit leadership. Learn more at www.riali.org.
