Teachers often tell students that reading is its own reward. But for 21 students in the New Visions fourth-grade class of Donna Lulay, the rewards for reading the book Through My Eyes by civil rights activist Ruby Bridges were far more tangible.
On March 7, the students each received a ticket to a New York Knicks game, a tote bag, and a certificate signed by U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy. In addition, the students received a hardcover copy of the book itself.
The rewards were presented to the students in a special program in their class in connection with a discussion of the book with Rep. McCarthy and Kym Hampton, former star player with the women's basketball team, the New York Liberty.
Rep. McCarthy told the children that Ruby Bridges's encounters with segregation in the South when she was growing up reminded everybody of the importance of eliminating racism and encouraging tolerance and friendliness.
The activity was conducted as part of Women's History Month, in which female role models from government and sports team up with Cablevision's Power to Learn Program in the New York metropolitan area to encourage children to read. Joining with Cablevision are the New York Knicks and the Liberty.
Cablevision gave each student a complimentary copy of Ruby Bridges' book, which recounts her experience as a six year old black child being escorted to school by federal marshals in Louisiana in the 1960s.
“Imagine how lonely she must have felt, being the only child in her classroom because other students didn't want to sit with her," said Rep. McCarthy to the students, who sat, fascinated by the legislator's stories about how she, too, had felt like an “outsider" as a child because she had experienced difficulty learning in school due to her dyslexia.
Basketball star Kym Hampton, towering over the fourth-graders, declared that the “message of Ruby Bridges's book is that “Girls can do anything they want!" as the female half of the class erupted in loud cheers.
New Visions Principal Renee Crump said she had received the invitation from Cablevision to participate in the Power to Learn Program and had sent out invitations to teachers to sign up. “Ms. Lulay was the first to return the form!" said Crump. |
