Rhythmic Rap turns Juneteenth celebration into fun reading lesson for Manatee youth
Children screamed, laughed and danced their way through a literacy lesson Friday afternoon as part of a string of Juneteenth celebrations planned throughout the weekend.
Bradenton’s 13th Avenue Dream Center welcomed children’s author and entertainer Vincent Taylor to walk kids through a reading lecture in disguise. Using a combination of hip-hop music and charisma, he taught a group of about 80 kids how to identify similes and use context clues to define words.
“It’s all about learning and having fun,” said Sharon Jefferson, who put together the event as part of the Fifth Annual Juneteenth Celebration, which also features events at Ward Temple AME Church.
As president of Rosalyn Walton Education and Enrichment Services, Jefferson works to promote literacy in the community. She said it’s especially important to teach these lessons while kids are young. Even seeing a Black author and role model can have a lasting impact on the kids.
“We want to make sure they are reading on grade level. Not only that, we want to make sure that they enjoy reading. That’s why we have our hip-hop presentation. It’s all based on literacy. It’s high-impact, high-energy,” Jefferson explained. “I think it’s important that children of color see authors and also see books that represent them and their culture, as well.”
Over the course of an hour, Taylor’s Rhythmic Reading with Rap program used popular music to engage with children, guiding and encouraging them to find ways to enjoy their education. He challenged the kids below the age of 10 to identify idioms, similes and alliteration.
“I believed from the first day I stepped into the classroom that learning should be fun,” said Taylor, who has 25 years of experience teaching in classrooms.
But learning never ends. Every child in attendance picked their own book to take home and keep practicing what they learned with Taylor’s help.
“It was exciting to see kids get that hyped about reading. I bet they didn’t even realize they were learning,” said Robert Powell, president of Manatee County’s NAACP chapter. “I hope they continue to use some of those lessons when they get back to school.”
Juneteenth is a holiday celebrated on June 19th to commemorate the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas learned that they had been freed as a result of the Civil War. After being honored in the Black community for more than 150 years, Juneteenth recently received federal attention, officially becoming designated as a national holiday.
It took longer than he would have liked, but Powell said it felt like a positive step to see Juneteenth receive national attention.
“I’m definitely glad it’s being acknowledged. We still have battles as African Americans to deal with, but it’s good to see. Every small step is a victory,” he said, noting that the NAACP remains committed to achieving police reform and awareness around systemic racism.
Other Juneteenth Celebrations in Bradenton
Saturday, June 19
Juneteenth Community Festival
- Address: Ward Temple AME Church, 1017 Fifth St. W., Bradenton
- Time: 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, June 20
Ecumenical Father’s Day Service
- Address: Ward Temple AME Church, 1017 Fifth St. W., Bradenton
- Time: 3 p.m.
This story was originally published June 19, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
